A new method to measure air-borne pyrogens based on human whole blood cytokine response

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Immunology
• Microbiology

Background:

• Airborne microorganisms and their components are linked to various pulmonary diseases.
• Existing methods often focus on specific microbial components, not the total inflammatory effect.
• Previous work established a blood-based pyrogen test for injectable drugs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt a human blood-based assay for evaluating the total inflammatory capacity of air samples.
• To assess the sensitivity and reproducibility of the adapted assay for airborne microbial contaminants.
• To provide a tool for evaluating air quality in diverse environments.

Main Methods:

• Air samples collected on PTFE filters were incubated with human whole blood.
• Cytokine release was measured using ELISA to quantify inflammatory responses.
• The assay was tested with various airborne contaminants including endotoxins and non-endotoxins.

Main Results:

• The assay demonstrated high sensitivity in detecting endotoxins, fungal spores, Gram-positive bacteria, and pyrogenic dust.
• Reproducible data were obtained from air samples from different environments like workplaces and animal housing.
• Assay performance was validated using fresh and cryopreserved blood, with a standard material developed for quantification.

Conclusions:

• The developed assay effectively measures the integral inflammatory capacity of airborne microbial contaminants.
• This method offers a sensitive and reproducible approach to assess air quality relevant to human health.
• The assay has potential applications in evaluating air quality in various living and working environments.