ArticlePloS one2016
Rhinitis, Ocular, Throat and Dermal Symptoms, Headache and Tiredness among Students in Schools from Johor Bahru, Malaysia: Associations with Fungal DNA and Mycotoxins in Classroom Dust.
Article in PloS one, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 103 citations in OpenAlex.
- Human Biomonitoring of Mycotoxins in Blood, Plasma and Serum in Recent Years: A Review.Toxins · 2020Pooled it
- A Multicenter Exploration of Sick Building Syndrome Symptoms in Malaysian Schools: Indoor Pollutants, Microbial Taxa, and Metabolites.Metabolites · 2025Article
- Monitoring Mycotoxin Exposure in Food-Producing Animals (Cattle, Pig, Poultry, and Sheep).Toxins · 2024Review
- A Scoping Review on Fungus and Mycotoxin Studies in the Building's Environment: Mycotoxin Analysis by Mass Spectrometry.International journal of analytical chemistry · 2024Article
- Indoor metabolites and chemicals outperform microbiome in classifying childhood asthma and allergic rhinitis.Eco-Environment & Health · 2023Article
- The management of allergic rhinitis by pharmacists in public services: a proposed PhaRmacISt-led Education Model (AR-PRISE).Journal of pharmaceutical policy and practice · 2022Article
- Indoor microbiome and allergic diseases: From theoretical advances to prevention strategies.Eco-Environment & Health · 2022Review
- Cellular Cytotoxicity and Oxidative Potential of Recurrent Molds of the GenusMicroorganisms · 2022Article
- Comprehensive health risk assessment of microbial indoor air quality in microenvironments.PloS one · 2022Article
- First Characterization and Description ofJournal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Article
- Does Cannabis Extract Obtained From Cannabis Flowers With Maximum Allowed Residual Level of Aflatoxins and Ochratoxin a Have an Impact on Human Safety and Health?Frontiers in medicine · 2021Article
- Article
- Relationships Between Short-Term Exposure to an Indoor Environment and Dry Eye (DE) Symptoms.Journal of clinical medicine · 2020Article
- Article
- Evaluation of Matrix Effects in Quantifying Microbial Secondary Metabolites in Indoor Dust Using Ultraperformance Liquid Chromatograph-Tandem Mass Spectrometer.Safety and health at work · 2019Article
- Epidemiology of allergic rhinitis and associated risk factors in Asia.The World Allergy Organization journal · 2018Review
- Article
- Impact of Mycotoxins Secreted by Aspergillus Molds on the Inflammatory Response of Human Corneal Epithelial Cells.Toxins · 2017Article
- Mold and Human Health: a Reality Check.Clinical reviews in allergy & immunology · 2017Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
There are few studies on rhinitis and sick building syndrome (SBS) among students in tropical countries. We studied associations between levels of five fungal DNA sequences, two mycotoxins (sterigmatocystin and verrucarol) and cat allergen (Fel d 1) levels in schools and rhinitis and other weekly SBS symptoms in the students. Fungal DNA was measured by quantitative PCR and cat allergen by ELISA. Pupils (N = 462) from eight randomly selected schools in Johor Bahru, Malaysia participated (96%). Dust samples were collected by cotton swabs and Petri dishes exposed for one week. None of the schools had a mechanical ventilation system, but all classrooms had openable windows that were kept open during lectures and indoor CO2 levels were low (mean 492 ppm; range 380-690 ppm). Weekly nasal symptoms (rhinitis) (18.8%), ocular (11.6%), throat (11.1%), dermal symptoms, headache (20.6%) and tiredness (22.1%) were common. Total fungal DNA in swab samples was associated with rhinitis (p = 0.02), ocular symptoms (p = 0.009) and tiredness (p = 0.001). There were positive associations between Aspergillus versicolor DNA in Petri dish samples, ocular symptoms (p = 0.02) and tiredness (p = 0.001). The level of the mycotoxin verrucarol (produced by Stachybotrys chartarum) in swab samples was positively associated with tiredness (p = 0.04). Streptomyces DNA in swab samples (p = 0.03) and Petri dish samples (p = 0.03) were negatively associated with tiredness. In conclusion, total fungal contamination, measured as total fungal DNA) in the classrooms, Aspergillus versicolor and verrucarol can be risk factors for rhinitis and SBS symptoms among students in the tropical country Malaysia.
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