LATEST SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES---Molds / Mycotoxins and Human Injury

[Guest guest]

LATEST SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES

Dr. R. L. Lipsey Dec. 2005

1. Ochiai et al, 2005 Inhal. of Styachybotrys spores and mycotoxins

can cause serious lung damage in humans as the macrophage cells are killed

(cytotoxic) and there is a strong inflammatory response. It is not as toxic if

injected into the lungs of mice.

2. Brasel...Straus, 2004 Tricothecene mycotoxins found in the blood in

23 humans exposed to Stachybotrys in indoor environments. Therefore,

airborne Styachy is inhaled with the mycotoxins attached to the spores and can

be

quantified with the ELISA method. Brasel, , and Straus, Jan 2005

found highly respirable particles (less than a micron) constitute the

majority of the particulate matter found in indoor air and they can carry

mycotoxins

into the air in moldy buildings. Mycotoxins are smaller than the fungal

fragments known as conidia but both the particles and the conidia carry

mycotoxins and this is important for people living and working in moldy

buildings and

those doing damp building investigations.

3. Crameri et al, 1996 A. fumigatus produced autoimmune disease,

allergic hypersensitivity responses, in humans.

4. Larsen et al, 1996 Tricoderma indoors produces histimine releases

in human bronchi and alveolar sacs.

5. Johanning et al, 1996 Stachybotrys in offices with water damage

produces brain damage or CNS effects in office workers that can be measured.

6. Etzel & Sorenson, 1998, Elidemir et al 1999. Montana et al, 1997,

Novotny and Dixit, 2000, Tripi et al, 2000, Cooley et al, 1998 & Mahmoudi et

al,

2000 Sick buildings syndrome and Stachybotrys exposure has associated

with infant pulmonary hemorrhaging in many studies just like in the

Cleveland, OH studies of infant deaths by CDC.

7. Dales et al, 1991 Adverse health effects in humans in damp, moldy

buildings produces neurological disorders (CNS effects), dizziness, nausea,

mental fatigue and nosebleeds.

8. Croft...Jarvis et al, 1986 Moldy buildings produce an airborne

outbreak of tricothecene toxicosis.

9. Elidemir et al, 1999 Stachybotrys was isolated in the lungs of a

child suffering in the hospital with pulmonary hemosiderosis (PH) or chronic

bleeding in the lungs and coughing up blood. It can be fatal. If PH is

recurrent, it can cause interstitial fibrosis (Thrasher, 12/05 Stachybotrys

Lung

Effects).

10. Hodgson, Morey and Leung et al, 1998 Moldy buildings produces lung

damage in humans as the spores are inhaled. The pulmonary disease was caused

by Stachybotrys and Aspergillus versicolor.

11. Rao, 2000 & Feinberg et al, 1989 Tricothecenes from Stachybotrys in

indoor environments are strong inhibitors or protein synthesis. Rao found

that high doses were required in rat studies, about 3,000 spores/g of body

weight, which injected into the lungs of rats as opposed to being inhaled (see

Ochiai et al, 2005). Rao did not know if a highly toxic macrocyclic

tricothecene or a less toxic atranone producing Stachybotrys isolate was used,

nor do we

know the purity, ie the percent of fragments. Rao is criticized for not

using the more sensitive ELISA method of analysis, but chose instead to use the

less sensitive or “insensitive†method of biochemical and microscopic

assays

for inflammation, etc.

12. Wannemacher et al, 1997 Tricothecenes from Stachybotrys and other

pathogenic molds are being researched by the US government as possible warfare

agents to kill the enemy.

13. Brasel.... et al, 2004 Airborne Stachybotrys mycotoxins

(tricothecenes) have been detected in the air on small particulates, not just

on

Stachybotrys spores in the air in moldy buildings. The levels of mycotoxins

in the air were low.

14. Sorenson.....Jarvis, 1987 Thicothecene mycotoxins from Stachybotrys

and other molds such as Fusarium have been detected in the air on aerolized

conidia.

15. Mason et al, 2001 and Rand et al, 2002 and Wilkins et al, 1998

Stachybotrys spores and their mycotoxins, ie tricothecenes in the air inside

lab

chambers destroy lung tissues and cause immune damage in laboratory animals

similar to the damage in humans, but a cause and effect or dose response

effect can be determined.

16. Vojani.....Thrasher, et al, 2002 Exposure to airborne Stachybotrys

and their mycotoxins produce adverse effects in humans and the levels of

exposure can be measured in the lab.

17. Vojani...., et al, 2002 Exposure by humans to pathogenic

molds in water damaged buildings can produce antibodies in the blood and

adverse

health effects.

18. ....Dearborn et al, 2004 Stachybotrys mycotoxins,

Satratoxin-G, was isolated in the lungs of mice exposed to Stachybotrys in the

lab.

19. Flemming.....Rand, 2004 The no adverse effect level, or NOAEL, for

exposure to Stachybotrys spores was less than 30 spores per gram of body

weight in lab mice following intratracheal exposure and a dose-response curve

could be determined and measured for adverse health effects such as total

protein, albumin effects (indicating vascular leakage) and IL-6. However, the

opportunistic allergen, more commonly found in indoor moldy environments, was

not as toxic as Stachybotrys as it was determined that the NOAEL was from 300 to

3,000 spores per gram of body weight, or 10 - 100 times less toxic.

Stachybotrys causes respiratory disease in lab animals and humans. It was

surprising that less than 30 spores/g was the NOAEL for mice while Rao et al,

2000 had

reported that the NOAEL in rats was about 3,000 spores/g of body weight.

20. Nielsen et al, 2002 Stachybotrys produces mycotoxins, ie

tricothecenes, and can cause strong inflammatory responses and be cytotoxic to

cells.

21. Nikulin et al, 1996 and 1997 and Rand et al 2002 Stachybotrys

mycotoxins can produce massive lung damage and a quick death in lab mice at

high

doses. In the 1997 study, Nikulin reported the highly toxic spores

intranasally administered to mice produced a significant healt risks to humans

since the

spores contained trichothecene mycotoxins as well as satratoxins G and H and

immunosuppresant stachybotrylactones. Even though they could not find IgG

antibodies in the blood, but there was significant damage to the bronchi and

alveoli including hemorrhaging in the air sacs.

22. Yike et al, 2002 Stachybotrys mycotoxins can produce massive lung

damage and a quick death in lab rats at high doses.

23. Sumarah et al, 1999 Stachybotrys mycotoxins are less toxic to rats

than to mice indicating that rat studies may not be the best model to use to

determine the potential adverse health effects in human lungs. (Also in Rand

et al, 2002)

24. Rand et al, 2002 Alveolar type II cells in the lungs of mice are

very sensitive to Stachybotrys spores and their tricothecene metabolites found

on the spores. These were in vivo studies (live) as opposed to cells in vitro

(in glass) studies. Current studies by Rand show lesions and inflammation in

lungs following exposure.

25. Yang et al, 2000 and Okumura et all, 1999 Stachybotrys tricothecene

and T-2 mycotoxins attack lungs cells and cause death of the cells

(cytotoxicity).

26. Viana....Vesper et al 2002 Exposure to Stachybotrys in moldy

environments has caused adverse health effects in humans. Mice given a single

dose

of Stachybotrys extract did not show any allergic responses, but showed very

strong, or “severeâ€, inflammation of the lungs. The bronchiolar epithelium

was characterized by the presence of ....â€foamy cytoplasm†and edema in

pathology studies.

27. Pieckove et al 1999 Pathogenic mold exposure in humans can result in

immune damage and colonization inside the lungs (aspergilloma).

28. Vesper et al, 2001 Stachybotrys tricothecene mycotoxins produce

hemolytic protein stachylysin.

29. Rao, Brain and Burge, July 2000, Mycotoxins from Stachybotrys

spores caused lung damage and pulmonary inflammation in rats in a dose

dependent

manner, but when extracted in methanol, ( extracted in methanol to reduce the

mycotoxin content) the mycotoxins were dramatically reduced in toxicity.

There was a significant direct effect of the Stachybotrys spores in the lungs

on

levels of LDH, albumin and hemoglobin. Increases in albumin levels in the

blood are an early indication of widespread inflammation.Rao, Burge and Brain,

Jan 2000 studied rats intratracheally instilled with 9.6 million (and

fragments, etc.) Stachybotrys spores showed severe injury detectable by

bronchoalveolar lavage. The rat lungs suffered inflammation, hemorrhaging and

there was

considerable levels of cytotoxicity mostly between 6 and 24 hours.

30. -Ganser.....Storey....Rao, 2005 Occupancy of a water damaged 20

story building was associated with onset of respiratory conditions and

exacerbation as well. Two thirds of the adult onset asthma arose after

occupancy of

the building according to this CDC/NIOSH epidemiological study. Post

occupancy onset asthma and hypersensitivity pneumonitis were diagnosed. Sixty

to 70%

of the occupants complaining of building related symptoms felt better away

from the building which is not unusual. The most common symptoms related to

working in this water damaged (moldy) building was coughing attacks, chest

tightness, shortness of breath and wheezing in that order.

31. Vesper, Dearborn, et al, 2000 Stachybotrys was isolated from the

lung of a Houston hospital patient diagnosed with pulmonary hemorrhaging and

hemosiderosis (PH). This is similar to the Elidemir et al 1999 study of a child

which had Stachybotrys in the lungs with progressive respiratory symptoms and

PH was taken from a home contaminated with Stachybotrys. There are at least

six (6) scientific studies linking exposure to Stachybotrys and the deaths of

infants from pulmonary hemorrhaging.

32. Vesper, Dearborn, Yike et al, 1999 Stachybotrys can produce

hemolysis that destroys blood cells which indicates that hemolysis may have a

role

in PH pathology.

33. Jarvis, Sorenson.....Etzel and Dearborn, 1998 A case controlled

study involving a cluster of infants coughing up blood leading to fatality was

correlated to water damaged homes. Stachybotrys was considered a risk factor.

Isolates collected from the homes produced highly toxic compounds. Although

fungi (molds) have been tradentially viewed as allergens, we know know that the

effects can be more severe including hemorrhaging, leukopenia and cardiac

effects and even death as seen in farm animals. As opposed to being simple

allergens, mold spores attack the body in a number of ways after being inhaled

causing adverse health effects in humans. Powerful evidence that contaminated

environments are hazardous and infants should not be exposed to water damaged

buildings.

34. Croft, Jarvis et al, 1986 Airborne outbreak of tricothecene

toxicosis or stachybotryotoxicosis causing an increase in adverse health

effects in

humans.

35. Leino et al, Dec 2005 Stachybotrys exposure in mice causes

inflammation of airways, respiratory symptoms, infiltration of neutophils

oesinophils

and leukocytes.

36. Hudson....Rand, Aug, 2005 Stachybotrys exposed mice suffered from

the action of macrocyclic trichothecenes contributing to lung pathogenesis.

37. Yike, Rand and Dearborn, Apr. 2005 Stachybotrys produces

tricothecenes and other toxic metabolites that cause inflammation in rat lungs

and

damage to the alveoli or air sacs from the fungal spores. The most sensitive

indicators of lung damage was tumor necrosis factor alfa (sic) interleukin

1-beta

and neutorphils. Yike et al 2002 found that pulmonary hemorrhaging and

inflammation of the lungs are caused primarily by the mycotoxins associated

with

Stachybotrys causing an increase in macrophages, lymphocytes and neutrophils

(7 fold) in BAL fluid and hemorrhaging and thickened alveolar septa.

38. Jarvis, 2002 Evidence is accumulating that toxigenic molds are a

risk to human health via inhalation of spores containing mycotoxins.

Stachybotrys is considered the more serious threat to people living and working

in

water damaged buildings.

39. Dzhurov et al,1984 Stachybotryotoxicosis was seen in calves exposed

to Stachybotrys producing edema, hemorrhaging, lesions and degeneration of

the kidneys and liver, heart and brain of the calves.

40. Brasel.....Straus, Nov 2005 Airborne mycotoxins in mold contaminated

buildings is an occupant health risk. Seven moldy buildings were studied and

four control buildings with air sampling using high volume liquid impaction

bioaerosol sampling equipment under static and disturbed conditions where the

spores were forced into the air. There was more mycotoxins found in the air

when it had been disturbed with levels of up to 1,300 pg per cubic meter of

air sampled. The control buildings had less than 0.001 using the ELISA method

which has a high specificity for tricothecenes. Therefore, mycotoxins are in

the air in moldy buildings, not just spores of Stachybotrys, and this fact

should be considered in any air quality inspections.

41. Bunger et al, 2004 Mycotoxins cause toxic effects in humans,

especially acute and chronic respiratory diseases. They studied cell damage, or

cytotoxicity, following the probable inhalation of dust containing mycotoxins.

42. Rea et al 2003 The medical files of 100 mold exposed patients were

studied and a series of tests were preformed including serum antibody testing,

breakdown products tested in the urine and skin prick testing which showed

that 98% of the patients had been exposed to molds and 80% of the patients had

abnormal T and B cells. 64% of the patients suffered respiratory injury

while 70% showed neurological injury. A striking number of patients, 86%, (26

of

30) showed clinical proof of exposure with abnormal SPECT scans which was

confirmed with neuropsychological testing indicating that 46 patients had

neurological impairment with problems with short term memory, judgment,

concentration and hand/eye coordination.

43. Kelman et al, Global Tox, Inc 2004 Mycotoxins have been

“proposedâ€

to affect humans following inhalation. The evidence is inadequate to

establish a causal relationship. He theorized a model that would show the

maximum

possible dose of mycotoxins that could be inhaled in 24 hours containing the

maximum reported concentration of aflatoxin, etc. It was not possible to get

enough mycotoxins in the air in his “model†to “cause any adverse

effectâ€.

(unk if he meant in mice or rats or man?) ( He may be comparing apples to

oranges by using the FDA no effect levels in eating nuts to the airborne levels

of aflatoxins ..... and nuts ).

Dr. L. Lipsey ( 904 )398-2168

550 Water St, #1230, ville, FL 32202

Forensic Toxicologist and Adjunct Instructor, Univ. N. Florida,

Div. Continuing Educ., HazMat/OSHA

Fla. Comm. College Jax, Institute of Occ. Safety & Health

Member Clinical Toxicology Advisory Committee, Florida Poison Information

Center- ville.

_www.richardlipsey.com_ (http://www.richardlipsey.com/)

[Guest guest]

Dr. Lipsey,

Thank you very much for sharing the information on the

scientific articles. It seems to be a generous and

thoughful gift to all of us suffering from mold

effects on our lives, and also battling to get some

scientific validation of our own experiences while we

deal with all the naysayers. Judi

--- RLLIPSEY87@... wrote:

> LATEST SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES

> Dr. R. L. Lipsey Dec. 2005

>

>

> 1. Ochiai et al, 2005 Inhal. of Styachybotrys

> spores and mycotoxins

> can cause serious lung damage in humans as the

> macrophage cells are killed

> (cytotoxic) and there is a strong inflammatory

> response. It is not as toxic if

> injected into the lungs of mice.

>

> 2. Brasel...Straus, 2004 Tricothecene

> mycotoxins found in the blood in

> 23 humans exposed to Stachybotrys in indoor

> environments. Therefore,

> airborne Styachy is inhaled with the mycotoxins

> attached to the spores and can be

> quantified with the ELISA method. Brasel, ,

> and Straus, Jan 2005

> found highly respirable particles (less than a

> micron) constitute the

> majority of the particulate matter found in indoor

> air and they can carry mycotoxins

> into the air in moldy buildings. Mycotoxins are

> smaller than the fungal

> fragments known as conidia but both the particles

> and the conidia carry

> mycotoxins and this is important for people living

> and working in moldy buildings and

> those doing damp building investigations.

>

> 3. Crameri et al, 1996 A. fumigatus produced

> autoimmune disease,

> allergic hypersensitivity responses, in humans.

>

> 4. Larsen et al, 1996 Tricoderma indoors

> produces histimine releases

> in human bronchi and alveolar sacs.

>

> 5. Johanning et al, 1996 Stachybotrys in

> offices with water damage

> produces brain damage or CNS effects in office

> workers that can be measured.

>

> 6. Etzel & Sorenson, 1998, Elidemir et al 1999.

> Montana et al, 1997,

> Novotny and Dixit, 2000, Tripi et al, 2000, Cooley

> et al, 1998 & Mahmoudi et al,

> 2000 Sick buildings syndrome and Stachybotrys

> exposure has associated

> with infant pulmonary hemorrhaging in many studies

> just like in the

> Cleveland, OH studies of infant deaths by CDC.

>

> 7. Dales et al, 1991 Adverse health effects in

> humans in damp, moldy

> buildings produces neurological disorders (CNS

> effects), dizziness, nausea,

> mental fatigue and nosebleeds.

>

> 8. Croft...Jarvis et al, 1986 Moldy buildings

> produce an airborne

> outbreak of tricothecene toxicosis.

>

> 9. Elidemir et al, 1999 Stachybotrys was

> isolated in the lungs of a

> child suffering in the hospital with pulmonary

> hemosiderosis (PH) or chronic

> bleeding in the lungs and coughing up blood. It can

> be fatal. If PH is

> recurrent, it can cause interstitial fibrosis

> (Thrasher, 12/05 Stachybotrys Lung

> Effects).

>

> 10. Hodgson, Morey and Leung et al, 1998 Moldy

> buildings produces lung

> damage in humans as the spores are inhaled. The

> pulmonary disease was caused

> by Stachybotrys and Aspergillus versicolor.

>

> 11. Rao, 2000 & Feinberg et al, 1989

> Tricothecenes from Stachybotrys in

> indoor environments are strong inhibitors or

> protein synthesis. Rao found

> that high doses were required in rat studies, about

> 3,000 spores/g of body

> weight, which injected into the lungs of rats as

> opposed to being inhaled (see

> Ochiai et al, 2005). Rao did not know if a highly

> toxic macrocyclic

> tricothecene or a less toxic atranone producing

> Stachybotrys isolate was used, nor do we

> know the purity, ie the percent of fragments. Rao

> is criticized for not

> using the more sensitive ELISA method of analysis,

> but chose instead to use the

> less sensitive or “insensitive� method of

> biochemical and microscopic assays

> for inflammation, etc.

>

> 12. Wannemacher et al, 1997 Tricothecenes from

> Stachybotrys and other

> pathogenic molds are being researched by the US

> government as possible warfare

> agents to kill the enemy.

>

> 13. Brasel.... et al, 2004 Airborne

> Stachybotrys mycotoxins

> (tricothecenes) have been detected in the air on

> small particulates, not just on

> Stachybotrys spores in the air in moldy buildings.

> The levels of mycotoxins

> in the air were low.

>

> 14. Sorenson.....Jarvis, 1987 Thicothecene

> mycotoxins from Stachybotrys

> and other molds such as Fusarium have been detected

> in the air on aerolized

> conidia.

>

> 15. Mason et al, 2001 and Rand et al, 2002 and

> Wilkins et al, 1998

> Stachybotrys spores and their mycotoxins, ie

> tricothecenes in the air inside lab

> chambers destroy lung tissues and cause immune

> damage in laboratory animals

> similar to the damage in humans, but a cause and

> effect or dose response

> effect can be determined.

>

> 16. Vojani.....Thrasher, et al, 2002 Exposure

> to airborne Stachybotrys

> and their mycotoxins produce adverse effects in

> humans and the levels of

> exposure can be measured in the lab.

>

> 17. Vojani...., et al, 2002 Exposure by

> humans to pathogenic

> molds in water damaged buildings can produce

> antibodies in the blood and adverse

> health effects.

>

> 18. ....Dearborn et al, 2004

> Stachybotrys mycotoxins,

> Satratoxin-G, was isolated in the lungs of mice

> exposed to Stachybotrys in the lab.

>

> 19. Flemming.....Rand, 2004 The no adverse

> effect level, or NOAEL, for

> exposure to Stachybotrys spores was less than 30

> spores per gram of body

> weight in lab mice following intratracheal exposure

> and a dose-response curve

> could be determined and measured for adverse health

> effects such as total

> protein, albumin effects (indicating vascular

> leakage) and IL-6. However, the

> opportunistic allergen, more commonly found in

> indoor moldy environments, was

> not as toxic as Stachybotrys as it was determined

> that the NOAEL was from 300 to

> 3,000 spores per gram of body weight, or 10 - 100

> times less toxic.

> Stachybotrys causes respiratory disease in lab

> animals and humans. It was

> surprising that less than 30 spores/g was the NOAEL

> for mice while Rao et al, 2000 had

> reported that the NOAEL in rats was about 3,000

> spores/g of body weight.

>

> 20. Nielsen et al, 2002 Stachybotrys produces

> mycotoxins, ie

> tricothecenes, and can cause strong inflammatory

> responses and be cytotoxic to cells.

>

> 21. Nikulin et al, 1996 and 1997 and Rand et al

> 2002 Stachybotrys

> mycotoxins can produce massive lung damage and a

> quick death in lab mice at high

> doses. In the 1997 study, Nikulin reported the

> highly toxic spores

> intranasally administered to mice produced a

> significant healt risks to humans since the

> spores contained trichothecene mycotoxins as well

> as satratoxins G and H and

> immunosuppresant stachybotrylactones. Even though

> they could not find IgG

> antibodies in the blood, but there was significant

> damage to the bronchi and

> alveoli including hemorrhaging in the air sacs.

>

> 22. Yike et al, 2002 Stachybotrys mycotoxins

> can produce massive lung

> damage and a quick death in lab rats at high doses.

>

> 23. Sumarah et al, 1999 Stachybotrys mycotoxins

> are less toxic to rats

> than to mice indicating that rat studies may not be

> the best model to use to

> determine the potential adverse health effects in

> human

=== message truncated ===

__________________________________________

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[Guest guest]

Thank you, Dr Lipsey. This took a LOT of work and I'm sure many of us

can put it to good use!

Carl Grimes

Healthy Habitats LLC

-----

> LATEST SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES

> Dr. R. L. Lipsey Dec. 2005

>

>

> 1. Ochiai et al, 2005 Inhal. of Styachybotrys spores and

[snip]