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A longitudinal study of sick building syndrome among pupils in relation to microbial components in dust in schools in China

Zhang, Xin ; Zhao, Zhuohui ; Nordquist, Tobias ; Larsson, Lennart LU ; Sebastian, Aleksandra LU and Norback, Dan (2011) In Science of the Total Environment 409(24). p.5253-5259
Abstract
There are few longitudinal studies on sick building syndrome (SBS), which include ocular, nasal, throat, and dermal symptoms, headache, and fatigue. We studied the associations between selected microbial components, fungal DNA, furry pet allergens, and incidence and remission of SBS symptoms in schools in Taiyuan, China. The study was based on a two-year prospective analysis in pupils (N = 1143) in a random sample of schools in China. Settled dust in the classrooms was collected by vacuum cleaning and analyzed for lipopolysaccharide (LPS), muramic acid (MuA), and ergosterol (Erg). Airborne dust was collected in Petri dishes and analyzed for cat and dog allergens and fungal DNA. The relationship between the concentration of allergens and... (More)
There are few longitudinal studies on sick building syndrome (SBS), which include ocular, nasal, throat, and dermal symptoms, headache, and fatigue. We studied the associations between selected microbial components, fungal DNA, furry pet allergens, and incidence and remission of SBS symptoms in schools in Taiyuan, China. The study was based on a two-year prospective analysis in pupils (N = 1143) in a random sample of schools in China. Settled dust in the classrooms was collected by vacuum cleaning and analyzed for lipopolysaccharide (LPS), muramic acid (MuA), and ergosterol (Erg). Airborne dust was collected in Petri dishes and analyzed for cat and dog allergens and fungal DNA. The relationship between the concentration of allergens and microbial compounds and new onset of SBS was analyzed by multi-level logistic regression. The prevalence of mucosal and general symptoms was 33% and 28%, respectively, at baseline, and increased during follow-up. At baseline, 27% reported at least one symptom that improved when away from school (school-related symptoms). New onset of mucosal symptoms was negatively associated with concentration of MuA, total LPS, and shorter lengths of 3-hydroxy fatty acids from LPS, 04, 06, and C18. Onset of general symptoms was negatively associated with C18 LPS. Onset of school-related symptoms was negatively associated with C16 LPS, but positively associated with total fungal DNA. In general, bacterial compounds (LPS and MuA) seem to protect against the development of mucosal and general symptoms, but fungal exposure measured as fungal DNA could increase the incidence of school-related symptoms. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Bacteria, China, Dust, Endotoxin, Sick building syndrome, School, environment
in
Science of the Total Environment
volume
409
issue
24
pages
5253 - 5259
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000297444800011
  • scopus:80054773145
  • pmid:21943723
ISSN
1879-1026
DOI
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.08.059
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
f4277cf3-9ea7-42d1-a020-b5b3455e1798 (old id 2279367)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:05:33
date last changed
2022-01-26 05:16:29
@article{f4277cf3-9ea7-42d1-a020-b5b3455e1798,
  abstract     = {{There are few longitudinal studies on sick building syndrome (SBS), which include ocular, nasal, throat, and dermal symptoms, headache, and fatigue. We studied the associations between selected microbial components, fungal DNA, furry pet allergens, and incidence and remission of SBS symptoms in schools in Taiyuan, China. The study was based on a two-year prospective analysis in pupils (N = 1143) in a random sample of schools in China. Settled dust in the classrooms was collected by vacuum cleaning and analyzed for lipopolysaccharide (LPS), muramic acid (MuA), and ergosterol (Erg). Airborne dust was collected in Petri dishes and analyzed for cat and dog allergens and fungal DNA. The relationship between the concentration of allergens and microbial compounds and new onset of SBS was analyzed by multi-level logistic regression. The prevalence of mucosal and general symptoms was 33% and 28%, respectively, at baseline, and increased during follow-up. At baseline, 27% reported at least one symptom that improved when away from school (school-related symptoms). New onset of mucosal symptoms was negatively associated with concentration of MuA, total LPS, and shorter lengths of 3-hydroxy fatty acids from LPS, 04, 06, and C18. Onset of general symptoms was negatively associated with C18 LPS. Onset of school-related symptoms was negatively associated with C16 LPS, but positively associated with total fungal DNA. In general, bacterial compounds (LPS and MuA) seem to protect against the development of mucosal and general symptoms, but fungal exposure measured as fungal DNA could increase the incidence of school-related symptoms. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Zhang, Xin and Zhao, Zhuohui and Nordquist, Tobias and Larsson, Lennart and Sebastian, Aleksandra and Norback, Dan}},
  issn         = {{1879-1026}},
  keywords     = {{Bacteria; China; Dust; Endotoxin; Sick building syndrome; School; environment}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{24}},
  pages        = {{5253--5259}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Science of the Total Environment}},
  title        = {{A longitudinal study of sick building syndrome among pupils in relation to microbial components in dust in schools in China}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.08.059}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.08.059}},
  volume       = {{409}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}