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International Archives of Allergy and... Jun 2024Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is the only known causative treatment for Alternaria allergy, but the difficulty in standardizing Alternaria extracts hampers its... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is the only known causative treatment for Alternaria allergy, but the difficulty in standardizing Alternaria extracts hampers its effectiveness and safety.
SUMMARY
Alternaria, a potent airborne allergen, has a high sensitization rate and is known to trigger the onset and exacerbation of respiratory allergies, even inducing fungal food allergy syndrome in some cases. It can trigger a type 2 inflammatory response, leading to an increase in the secretion of type 2 inflammatory cytokines and eosinophils, which are the culprits behind allergic symptoms. Diagnosing Alternaria allergy is a multistep process, involving a careful examination of clinical symptoms, medical history, skin prick tests, serum-specific IgE detection, or provocation tests. Alt a1, the major component of Alternaria, is a vital player in diagnosing Alternaria allergy through component-resolved diagnosis. Interestingly, Alternaria can reduce the protein activity of other allergens like pollen and cat dander when mixed with them. In order to solve the problems of standardization, efficacy and safety of traditional Alternaria AIT, novel AIT methods targeting Alt a1 and innovative vaccines such as epitope, DNA, and mRNA vaccines seem promising in bypassing the standardization issue of Alternaria extracts. But these studies are in early stages, and most researches are still focused on animal models, calling for more evidence to validate their use in humans.
KEY MESSAGES
This review delves into the various aspects of Alternaria allergy, including characteristics, epidemiology, immune mechanisms, diagnosis, clinical manifestations, and the application and limitations of Alternaria AIT, aiming to provide a foundation for the management of patients with Alternaria allergy.
PubMed: 38865977
DOI: 10.1159/000539237 -
Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and... 2023
PubMed: 37608633
DOI: 10.1177/12034754231194247 -
Clinical and Experimental Allergy :... Dec 2023Outdoor Alternaria and Cladosporium spores are ubiquitous. Few studies have assessed their impact on asthma hospitalizations providing conflicting results, mainly...
BACKGROUND
Outdoor Alternaria and Cladosporium spores are ubiquitous. Few studies have assessed their impact on asthma hospitalizations providing conflicting results, mainly focused on vulnerable paediatric populations. We aimed to study the impact of outdoor Alternaria and Cladosporium concentrations on acute hospitalizations in the Capital Region of Denmark.
METHODS
This is a bi-directional case-crossover study with 26 years of national registry data at individual level on acute asthma hospitalizations and daily average data on Alternaria and Cladosporium, pollen (Artemisia, Poaceae), maximal temperature, and air pollution. Conditional logistic regression models were applied to assess the associations. Concentration quartiles at lag 0 were used for categorizing the exposure.
RESULTS
For lags 0-2, the odds of hospitalization were significantly higher for both Alternaria and Cladosporium at concentration quartile 2-4 compared with quartile 1. When stratified for age and sex, odds of hospitalization at Alternaria quartiles 2-4 were significantly higher in males below 40 years at lag 0-2, and at lag 0 in females (18-30 years), while quartiles 2-4 of Cladosporium concentrations were associated with significantly higher odds in boys (0-17 years) at lag 1-3, males (18-39 years) at lag 0-1, females (18-39 years) at lag 1-2, males (40-64 years) at lag 0-2, females (40-64 years) at lag 0 and 2, in seniors (65+ years) male at lag 1-2 and female at lag 0-1. The effect of Alternaria varied significantly depending on the level of Cladosporium (p < .0001).
CONCLUSION
Ambient Alternaria and Cladosporium spores can induce asthma hospitalizations. Males are more susceptible to both genera. Males and females under age 40 years are more susceptible to Alternaria.
Topics: Humans; Male; Child; Female; Adult; Alternaria; Cladosporium; Cross-Over Studies; Spores, Fungal; Asthma
PubMed: 37748858
DOI: 10.1111/cea.14397 -
Pharmacological Research Jul 2023Metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and obesity, have become a major public health problem worldwide.... (Review)
Review
Metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and obesity, have become a major public health problem worldwide. In recent years, most research on the role of gut microbes in metabolic diseases has focused on bacteria, whereas fungal microbes have been neglected. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of gut fungal alterations in T2DM, obesity, and NAFLD, and to discuss the mechanisms associated with disease development. In addition, several novel strategies targeting gut mycobiome and/or their metabolites to improve T2DM, obesity and NAFLD, including fungal probiotics, antifungal drugs, dietary intervention, and fecal microbiota transplantation, are critically discussed. The accumulated evidence suggests that gut mycobiome plays an important role in the occurrence and development of metabolic diseases. The possible mechanisms by which the gut mycobiome affects metabolic diseases include fungal-induced immune responses, fungal-bacterial interactions, and fungal-derived metabolites. Candida albicans, Aspergillus and Meyerozyma may be potential pathogens of metabolic diseases because they can activate the immune system and/or produce harmful metabolites. Moreover, Saccharomyces boulardii, S. cerevisiae, Alternaria, and Cochliobolus fungi may have the potential to improve metabolic diseases. The information may provide an important reference for the development of new therapeutics for metabolic diseases based on gut mycobiome.
Topics: Humans; Mycobiome; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Obesity; Bacteria
PubMed: 37244385
DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106807 -
Allergy and Asthma Proceedings Nov 2023Allergy immunotherapy (AIT) with fungal extracts is not as straight forward as that with other inhalants. The complexities relate to the number of airborne fungal... (Review)
Review
Allergy immunotherapy (AIT) with fungal extracts is not as straight forward as that with other inhalants. The complexities relate to the number of airborne fungal spores, the limited data on the exposure to the spores of individual species of fungi and their clinical importance, the poor quality of the fungal allergen extracts that are available for the diagnosis and treatment, and the lack of controlled studies establishing dosing and efficacy of AIT with fungal extracts except for Alternaria. The objective was to review what is known with regard to the role of fungi in causing allergic respiratory diseases as well as the evidence that exists for the role of AIT as a treatment for these conditions. A search was conducted of PubMed, textbooks, known articles on immunotherapy with fungal extracts, and references derived from these primary sources. Nine immunotherapy studies that used Alternaria or its major allergen Alt a 1 and two studies that used Cladosporium herbarum were identified. When a good quality extract was administered in adequate doses, immunotherapy with Alternaria was as effective as that with other inhalant allergens. There was a suggestion of efficacy with a specially prepared Cladosporium extract, but systemic reactions were common and limited the tolerated dose. The use of immunotherapy as an adjunct treatment for allergic fungal sinusitis is briefly reviewed, but controlled trials are lacking. Fungal immunotherapy should largely be limited to Alternaria alternata and perhaps C. herbarum. Under conditions of demonstrated exposure to a particular species of fungus and with symptoms that correlate with that exposure as well as availability of an apparently potent extract of that fungus to which the patient is sensitive that fungus may be considered for immunotherapy. Fungal (mold) mixes should not be used for diagnosis or therapy.
Topics: Humans; Allergens; Antigens, Fungal; Hypersensitivity; Immunotherapy; Plant Extracts; Respiration Disorders
PubMed: 37919848
DOI: 10.2500/aap.2023.44.230058 -
Molecular Plant Pathology Mar 2024Alternaria spp. cause different diseases in potato and tomato crops. Early blight caused by Alternaria solani and brown spot caused by Alternaria alternata are most... (Review)
Review
UNLABELLED
Alternaria spp. cause different diseases in potato and tomato crops. Early blight caused by Alternaria solani and brown spot caused by Alternaria alternata are most common, but the disease complex is far more diverse. We first provide an overview of the Alternaria species infecting the two host plants to alleviate some of the confusion that arises from the taxonomic rearrangements in this fungal genus. Highlighting the diversity of Alternaria fungi on both solanaceous hosts, we review studies investigating the genetic diversity and genomes, before we present recent advances from studies elucidating host-pathogen interactions and fungicide resistances.
TAXONOMY
Kingdom Fungi, Phylum Ascomycota, Class Dothideomycetes, Order Pleosporales, Family Pleosporaceae, Genus Alternaria.
BIOLOGY AND HOST RANGE
Alternaria spp. adopt diverse lifestyles. We specifically review Alternaria spp. that cause disease in the two solanaceous crops potato (Solanum tuberosum) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). They are necrotrophic pathogens with no known sexual stage, despite some signatures of recombination.
DISEASE SYMPTOMS
Symptoms of the early blight/brown spot disease complex include foliar lesions that first present as brown spots, depending on the species with characteristic concentric rings, which eventually lead to severe defoliation and considerable yield loss.
CONTROL
Good field hygiene can keep the disease pressure low. Some potato and tomato cultivars show differences in susceptibility, but there are no fully resistant varieties known. Therefore, the main control mechanism is treatment with fungicides.
Topics: Alternaria; Solanum tuberosum; Solanum lycopersicum; Plant Diseases; Fungicides, Industrial
PubMed: 38476108
DOI: 10.1111/mpp.13435 -
FEMS Microbiology Reviews Nov 2023Alternaria species are cosmopolitan fungi darkly pigmented by melanin that infect numerous plant species causing economically important agricultural spoilage of various... (Review)
Review
Alternaria species are cosmopolitan fungi darkly pigmented by melanin that infect numerous plant species causing economically important agricultural spoilage of various food crops. Alternaria spp. also infect animals, being described as entomopathogenic fungi but also infecting warm-blooded animals, including humans. Their clinical importance in human health, as infection agents, lay in the growing number of immunocompromised patients. Moreover, Alternaria spp. are considered some of the most abundant and potent sources of airborne sensitizer allergens causing allergic respiratory diseases, as severe asthma. Among the numerous strategies deployed by Alternaria spp. to attack their hosts, the production of toxins, carrying critical concerns to public health as food contaminant, and the production of hydrolytic enzymes such as proteases, can be highlighted. Alternaria proteases also trigger allergic symptoms in individuals with fungal sensitization, acting as allergens and facilitating antigen access to the host subepithelium. Here, we review the current knowledge about the mechanisms of Alternaria pathogenesis in plants and animals, the strategies used by Alternaria to cope with the host defenses, and the involvement Alternaria allergens and mechanisms of sensitization.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Alternaria; Allergens; Peptide Hydrolases
PubMed: 37884396
DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuad061 -
Science Advances Dec 2023Steroids are the standard treatment for allergic airway inflammation in asthma, but steroid-refractory asthma poses a challenge. Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s),...
Steroids are the standard treatment for allergic airway inflammation in asthma, but steroid-refractory asthma poses a challenge. Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s), such as T helper 2 (T2) cells, produce key asthma-related type 2 cytokines. Recent insights from mouse and human studies indicate a potential connection between ILC2s and steroid-resistant asthma. Here, we highlight that lung ILC2s, rather than T2 cells, can develop steroid resistance, allowing them to persist and maintain their disease-driving activity even during steroid treatment. The emergence of multipotent IL-5IL-13IL-17A ILC2s is associated with steroid-resistant ILC2s. The Janus kinase 3 (JAK3)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3, 5, and 6 pathways contribute to the acquisition of steroid-resistant ILC2s. The JAK3 inhibitor reduces ILC2 survival, proliferation, and cytokine production in vitro and ameliorates ILC2-driven -induced asthma. Furthermore, combining a JAK3 inhibitor with steroids results in the inhibition of steroid-resistant asthma. These findings suggest a potential therapeutic approach for addressing this challenging condition in chronic asthma.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Mice; Immunity, Innate; Janus Kinase Inhibitors; Lymphocytes; Asthma; Cytokines; Inflammation; Steroids; Janus Kinase 3
PubMed: 38117887
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi3770 -
Pest Management Science Jan 2024Among the alternatives to synthetic plant protection products, biocontrol appears as a promising method. This review reports on the diversity of fungal secondary... (Review)
Review
Among the alternatives to synthetic plant protection products, biocontrol appears as a promising method. This review reports on the diversity of fungal secondary metabolites phytotoxic to weeds and on the approach generally used to extract, characterize, identify and exploit them for weed management. The 183 phytotoxic fungal secondary metabolites discussed in this review fall into five main classes of molecules: 61 polyketides, 53 terpenoids, 36 nitrogenous metabolites, 18 phenols and phenolic acids, and 15 miscellaneous. They are mainly produced by the genera Drechslera, Fusarium and Alternaria. The phytotoxic effects, more often described by the symptoms they produce on plants than by their mode of action, range from inhibition of germination to inhibition of root and vegetative growth, including tissue and organ alterations. The biochemical characterization of fungal secondary metabolites requires expertise and tools to carry out fungal cultivation and metabolite extraction, phytotoxicity tests, purification and fractionation of the extracts, and chemical identification procedures. Phytotoxicity tests are mainly carried out under controlled laboratory conditions (not always on whole plants), while effectiveness against targeted weeds and environmental impacts must be assessed in greenhouses and open fields. These steps are necessary for the formulation of effective, environment-friendly fungal secondary metabolites-derived bioherbicides using new technologies such as nanomaterials. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Topics: Herbicides; Plant Weeds; Alkaloids; Mitosporic Fungi; Plant Extracts
PubMed: 37794581
DOI: 10.1002/ps.7813 -
Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2023is a saprophytic and opportunistic fungus with a worldwide distribution that can affect the quality of various agricultural products, such as fruits, cereals, and...
is a saprophytic and opportunistic fungus with a worldwide distribution that can affect the quality of various agricultural products, such as fruits, cereals, and pseudocereals. This research was carried out to investigate the population of this genus associated with quinoa cultivation in plots located in the Boyacá department (Colombia), the country's third-largest quinoa-producing department. The present study found 17 isolates, of which 13 were identified as and 4 as (formerly ) employed molecular markers of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and translation elongation factor 1α (TEF-1α). In the pathogenicity test under greenhouse conditions, all the isolates showed some degree of pathogenicity on Piartal quinoa cultivar plants although no significant differences were found in isolates. The severity indices ranged from 2 to 5, and the percentage of affected leaves per plant ranged between 15% and 40%. This fungus affected the foliar tissue of quinoa, resulting in chlorotic and necrotic spots, symptoms that can generate a reduction in the quality and productivity of crops. This is the first time that the pathogenicity of spp. in the Piartal variety has been described and the first report of this genera in quinoa crops of Colombia.
PubMed: 37755055
DOI: 10.3390/jof9090947