Clinical Cross-Reactions between Various Moulds with Special Reference to Fusarium

Abstract

When investigating the possibility that Fusarium could be an ingestant as well as an inhalant allergen in man, it seemed reasonable to investigate those patients who were already known to have fungal spore inhalant problems. Cladosporium is the most common fungus found in the air followed by Alternaria, Penicillium and Aspergillus. It may be of some surprise that Fusarium is the fifth commonest. There is often a diurnal rhythm in the number of spores in the air. This depends on the environment rather than the fungus, but Fusarium as well as yeasts and basidospores show a night time peak. Although the four commonest moulds have been extensively studied as allergens, amazingly little work has been done on Fusarium as a possible inhalant allergen. The mycoprotein of Fusarium is now available in the UK as an ingestant. Some moulds, such as yeasts, can act both as inhalant and ingestant allergens. The present work was undertaken to see whether the Fusarium mycoprotein might have allergenic properties, particularly in those patients who had inhalant mould spore sensitivities. Apparent cross-reactivity between related and unrelated moulds is a commonly observed phenomenon Because of the cross-reactivity of related and unrelated moulds, it was an obvious step to investigate the potential allergenicity of the Fusarium mycoprotein in those patients who already were clinically allergic to Alternaria.