[Nasal fungal microbiota in allergic and healthy subjects]. / Microbiota fúngica nasal en sujetos alérgicos y sanos.

Environmental fungi, moulds and yeasts could reach the nasal cavity with the inhaled air causing respiratory symptoms in atopic subjects, but little is known about the fungal flora of this site. In the present study samples of the nasal cavities of 135 subjects aged 18-35 years (48 allergic patients to fungi, mites and/or cat fur and from 87 normal subjects--healthy, control group) were cultured. All of them lived in the metropolitan area of Barcelona. Fungi were isolated from 41.5% of healthy people and in 14.8% of allergy patients (p = 0.011). Morphologically, 50.4% of the isolates were located within 4 genera: Cladosporium, Penicillium, Aspergillus and Alternaria, fungi which are considered the most allergenic. The most prevalent species were: Cladosporium herbarum and C. cladosporioides (23.6%). Alternaria alternata was isolated only in 8.8% of samples from the allergic group, although most subjects were sensitive to this species. There were not differences in the isolation rate between genera and smoking-no-smoking groups. The lower prevalence of nasal fungi from allergic patients could be related to the nasal insufficiency, the hypersecretion and the larger use of handkerchiefs.

Microbiota fúngica nasal en sujetos alérgicos y sanos / Nasal fungal microbiota in allergic and healthy subjects

Los hongos ambientales, mohos y levaduras penetran con el aire en lacavidad nasal y pueden desencadenar alergias respiratorias en sujetosatópicos. No obstante, la flora fúngica de las fosas nasales es muy pococonocida.En este estudio, se han cultivado muestras de la mucosa nasal de135 sujetos, de los cuales 48 eran alérgicos a ácaros y epitelios u hongos,y los restantes, sin antecedentes de alergia, se consideraron sanos. Todosellos residían en el área metropolitana de Barcelona, y su edad era de entre18 y 35 años.Los resultados obtenidos demuestran que el 41,5% de los sujetos sanos eranportadores de una o más especies fúngicas, mientras que los alérgicos quepresentaron hongos fueron el 14,8% (p = 0,011). El 50,4% de los aisladoscorrespondieron a los géneros Cladosporium, Penicillium, Aspergillus yAlternaria, los cuales se consideran altamente alergénicos.Las especies fúngicas más comunes fueron: Cladosporium herbarum yCladosporium cladosporioides (23,6%). A pesar de que casi la mitad depacientes eran alérgicos a Alternaria alternata, ésta tan sólo se aisló en el8,8% de las muestras de dicho grupo. Las levaduras se aislaronpredominantemente en sujetos sanos.No se observaron diferencias entre sexos ni entre fumadores y no fumadores.Destaca la menor prevalencia de hongos nasales en sujetos alérgicos, quepodría ser debida a la insuficiencia nasal, rinorrea y/o mayor uso de pañuelos(AU)

Environmental fungi, moulds and yeasts could reach the nasal cavity with theinhaled air causing respiratory symptoms in atopic subjects, but little is knownabout the fungal flora of this site.In the present study samples of the nasal cavities of 135 subjects aged18-35 years (48 allergic patients to fungi, mites and/or cat fur and from 87normal subjects - healthy, control group) were cultured. All of them lived in themetropolitan area of Barcelona.Fungi were isolated from 41.5% of healthy people and in 14.8% of allergypatients (p = 0.011).Morphologically, 50.4% of the isolates were located within 4 genera:Cladosporium, Penicillium, Aspergillus and Alternaria, fungi which areconsidered the most allergenic.The most prevalent species were: Cladosporium herbarum andC. cladosporioides (23.6%). Alternaria alternata was isolated only in 8.8% ofsamples from the allergic group, although most subjects were sensitive to thisspecies.There were not differences in the isolation rate between genera andsmoking-no-smoking groups.The lower prevalence of nasal fungi from allergic patients could be related tothe nasal insufficiency, the hypersecretion and the larger use of handkerchief(AU)