Determination of the Inflammatory Potential of Bioaerosols by Using Human Whole Blood Cytokine Response

Abstract

Exposure to bioaerosols can induce pulmonary diseases and subjective symptoms in humans and animals. Some of these diseases are of inflammatory origin, such as organic dust toxic syndrome or chronic bronchitis.

Here we describe an in vitro assay - a human whole blood assay - that can be used to estimate the inflammatory potency of bioaerosol samples. With the whole blood assay the inflammation reaction that bioaerosols cause in the respiratory tract is reproduced. The assay is able to detect a broad spectrum of macrophage activating substances and not only endotoxins as with the Limulus assay.

Keywords

Bioaerosols Inflammation Cytokine Whole blood

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