Sarcoidosis, asthma, and asthma-like symptoms among occupants of a historically water-damaged office building.

UNLABELLED: Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disease of unknown etiology with evidence of association with exposure to microbial agents. In June 2006, we investigated a sarcoidosis cluster among office workers in a water-damaged building. In the course of the investigation, we became aware of a high rate of respiratory complaints including asthma and asthma-like symptoms. We conducted case finding for physician-diagnosed sarcoidosis and asthma and administered a health questionnaire survey and pulmonary function tests (PFTs) to consenting occupants. We compared prevalence ratios (PRs) to the Environmental Protection Agency's Building Assessment Survey and Evaluation study (BASE) and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We identified six sarcoidosis cases. The current building prevalence is 2206 cases/100,000 population, elevated, compared with the US population range of <1-40 cases/100,000. Of current occupants, 77% (105) participated in the health questionnaire survey and 64% (87) in PFTs. Physician-diagnosed asthma was elevated, compared with the US adult population. Adult asthma incidence was 3.3/1000 person-years during the period before building occupancy and 11.5/1000 person-years during the period after building occupancy. Comparisons with US office workers (BASE) yielded elevated PRs for shortness of breath [PR, 9.6; 95% confidence interval (CI), 6.1-15.2], wheeze (PR, 9.1; 95% CI 5.6-14.6), and chest tightness (PR, 5.1; 95% CI 2.8-9.0). PFT results supported reports of respiratory symptoms and diagnoses. Based on our findings building occupants were relocated. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The remission of occupational asthma caused by certain known antigens improves with early diagnosis and removal from exposure. As a suspected antigen-mediated disease, sarcoidosis might also benefit if affected persons are isolated from continued exposure. Our investigation identified a high prevalence of new-onset sarcoidosis, and asthma among workers of a water damaged building with a history of indoor environmental quality complaints. Removal of all individuals from such environments until completion of building diagnostics, environmental sampling and complete remediation is a prudent measure when feasible.

Resistance and susceptibility of bovine cells expressing herpesviral glycoprotein D homologs to herpesviral infections.

Bovine cell lines individually expressing two related herpesviral proteins, pseudorabies virus glycoprotein 50 and herpes simplex virus type 1 glycoprotein D, were examined for their susceptibility/resistance to infection with several alphaherpesviruses. Cell lines expressing gp50 or gD-1 resisted plaque formation by the homologous virus more than by the heterologous viruses. Bovine cells expressing bovine herpesvirus 1 glycoprotein IV (gIV) were susceptible to infection with three other bovine herpesviruses: bovine herpesvirus 2, bovine herpesvirus 4 (BHV-4) and alcelaphine herpesvirus 1. One line of gIV-expressing cells was resistant to the formation of BHV-4 plaques, suggesting that a cell-associated factor may be responsible for inhibiting cell-to-cell spread.

A vector for facile PCR product cloning and modification generating any desired 4-base 5' overhang: pRPM.

A pair of plasmids were developed for cloning PCR products in order to facilitate the preparation of products with 5' overhangs consisting of any desired 4-nucleotide sequence. These vectors allow DNA to be cloned into a unique restriction site by blunt-end ligation or by AT-cloning. The cloned DNA is subsequently excised using class IIS restriction enzyme sites flanking the insert yielding a fragment that is entirely free of vector sequences. These enzymes recognize sequences in the vector but "reach-over" the junction to cut within the insert thereby generating a 4-base 5' overhang sequence determined by the 5' sequences in the insert. Thus, in cases where the insert was originally generated by PCR, the overhangs are specified by the primer. More generally, these vectors offer a unique capability for the reversible cloning of any blunt DNA fragment because excision and fill-in reactions precisely regenerate the original blunt fragment regardless of its sequence. These "reach-over" product modification vectors represent general and flexible tools for the generation of fragments for use in engineering DNA constructs.

Bovine cells expressing bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1) glycoprotein IV resist infection by BHV-1, herpes simplex virus, and pseudorabies virus.

We expressed the bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1) glycoprotein IV (gIV) in bovine cells. The protein expressed was identical in molecular mass and antigenic reactivity to the native gIV protein but was localized in the cytoplasm. Expressing cells were partially resistant to BHV-1, herpes simplex virus, and pseudorabies virus, as shown by a 10- to 1,000-fold-lower number of plaques forming on these cells than on control cells. The level of resistance depended on the level of gIV expression and the type and amount of challenge virus. These data are consistent with previous reports by others that cellular expression of the BHV-1 gIV homologs, herpes simplex virus glycoprotein D, and pseudorabies virus glycoprotein gp50 provide partial resistance against infection with these viruses. We have extended these findings by showing that once BHV-1 enters gIV-expressing cells, it replicates and spreads normally, as shown by the normal size of BHV-1 plaques and the delayed but vigorous synthesis of viral proteins. Our data are consistent with the binding of BHV-1 gIV to a cellular receptor required for initial penetration by all three herpesviruses and interference with the function of that receptor molecule.