Aspergillus fumigatus: Potential Threat for Asthma patients

Authors

  • Tarfe Kishori S Department of Biotechnology, Smt. Chandibai Himathmal Mansukhani College, Ulhasnagar, District Thane, Maharashtra, India, Former PhD Scholar, Department of Microbiology, T. N. Medical College & B. Y. L. Nair Charitable Hospital, Mumbai Central, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
  • Deshpande Sunita D Former Professor, Department of Microbiology, Seth G. S. Medical College & KEM Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Abstract

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways. In susceptible individuals it causes recurrent episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness and cough. Inflammation can increase airway hyper responsiveness which can lead to infections by bacteria including atypical bacteria, fungi and viruses. Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis (ABPA) is a disease of asthmatic subjects, is caused by hypersensitivity to Aspergillus antigens. It is life threatening disease associated with Aspergillus fumigatus colonization of the bronchial airway. A person with asthma who develops ABPA has difficulty in controlling their asthma despite using many medications. In the present study 140 patients with Asthma were analysed for presence of Aspergillus species in their sputum sample. To confirm their atopy total serum IgE was estimated. In order to determine their sensitisation for A.  fumigatus, serum IgM for A. fumigatus was also tested. 4 patients (2.85%) showed presence of A. fumigatus in their sputum samples. All of them showed elevated levels of IgE which confirmed their allergic status. 17% patients showed elevated levels of A. fumigatus IgM antibodies which indicates sensitization of asthmatic subjects to A. fumigatus. Therefore it is recommended that while treating allergic patients presence of A. fumigatus in respiratory tract as well as presence of significant titres of  antibodies against A. fumigatus should be considered. Focused treatment to irradicate A. fumigatus should be given so that A. fumigatus is cleared from respiratory tract.

Key words: Asthma, ABPA, A. fumigatus.

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Published

2020-09-30

How to Cite

Tarfe Kishori S, & Deshpande Sunita D. (2020). Aspergillus fumigatus: Potential Threat for Asthma patients. International Journal of Life Sciences, 8(3), 543–548. Retrieved from https://ijlsci.in/ls/index.php/home/article/view/102

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 3 (2020): International Journal of Life Sciences

Section

Research Articles

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Copyright (c) 2020 Tarfe Kishori S, Deshpande Sunita D

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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