Ulocladium chartarum
Summary
Ulocladium chartarum is a common mold of the Order Pleosporales, mostly found in plant materials, soil and indoor environments. It is a known plant pathogen which may have a role in the sensitization of allergic patients. The particles causing sensitization are spores found in the environment.
Ulocladium spp. may be involved in the development of asthma and allergic rhinitis. This mold may also cause opportunistic disease. Cross reactivity with other molds, especially if taxonomically close, may occur.
Epidemiology
Worldwide distribution
There is a distinct lack of specific reports of allergic disease attributed to Ulocladium spp.; however, it is hypothesized its involvement in developing symptoms of asthma and allergic rhinitis.
Risk factors
Condensation in the home increased the risk of exposure to Ulocladium spp.
Route Of Exposure
Main
Inhalation.
Clinical Relevance
There appear to be limited reports indicating U. chartarum as a specific agent of hypersensitivity reactions and allergic diseases; Ulocladium spp. have low pathogenicity in humans. Taking into account the studies characterizing this mold using sera from mold-allergic patients with positive IgE reactivity, it is possible that allergic conditions caused by U. chartarum may be underestimated.
Allergic rhinitis
Ulocladium spp. may have a role in the sensitization and induction of asthma and allergic rhinitis symptoms.
Other diseases
U. chartarum caused cutaneous mycosis in an immunocompromised heart transplant patient.
Diagnostics
Main methods
Standard RCS centrifugal air sampler or personal volumetric petri plate sampler.
Measures
Spore levels were between 1.20–107 CFU/
The presence of allergen-specific antibodies is usually determined by skin prick tests (SPTs) and serology for IgE.
Prevention And Therapy
Allergen immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is currently not recommended for patients allergic to molds, due to complexities of the allergens and patient co-allergies.
Prevention strategies
Avoidance is difficult to achieve, due to the range of indoor environment in which Ulocladium spp. can be found
Cross-Reactivity
Cross-reactivity has been demonstrated to other molds. A recombinant version of the U. chartarum antigen Ulo c 1 showed IgE cross-reactivity with Alt a 1 from Alternaria alternata. Furthermore, the IgE from serum of mold-allergic patients recognized more antigens from U. chartarum than A. alternata, and also showed stronger reactivity. In a study using extracts of U. chartarum and Ulocladium botrytis, the IgE reactivity did not show significant differences between the two species.
References
- Woudenberg JHC, Groenewald JZ, Binder M, Crous PW. Alternaria redefined. Studies in mycology. 2013;75(1):171-212.
- Vannini BA, Vettraino AM. Ulocladium chartarum as the causal agent of a leaf necrosis on Quercus pubescens. Forest Pathology. 2000;30(6):297-303.
- Durán MT, Del Pozo J, Yebra MT, Crespo MG, Paniagua MJ, Cabezón MA, et al. Cutaneous infection caused by Ulocladium chartarum in a heart transplant recipient: case report and review. Acta Derm Venereol. 2003;83(3):218-21.
- Pfeiffer S, Sandler P, Raith M, Pascal M, Munoz-Cano RM, San Bartolome C, et al. Identification of Ulocladium chartarum as an important indoor allergen source. Allergy. 2021;76(10):3202-6.
- Kuhn DM, Ghannoum MA. Indoor mold, toxigenic fungi, and Stachybotrys chartarum: infectious disease perspective. Clinical microbiology reviews. 2003;16(1):144-72.
- Li D-W. Appendix Common Airborne and Indoor Fungi and Their Spores. 2006. p. 243-63.
- Gomoiu I, Chatzitheodoridis E, Vadrucci S, Walther I. The effect of spaceflight on growth of Ulocladium chartarum colonies on the international space station. PloS one. 2013;8(4):e62130-e.
- Gravesen S, Nielsen PA, Iversen R, Nielsen KF. Microfungal contamination of damp buildings--examples of risk constructions and risk materials. Environ Health Perspect. 1999;107 Suppl 3(Suppl 3):505-8.
- Sharpe RA, Cocq KL, Nikolaou V, Osborne NJ, Thornton CR. Identifying risk factors for exposure to culturable allergenic moulds in energy efficient homes by using highly specific monoclonal antibodies. Environ Res. 2016;144(Pt A):32-42.
- Basilico Mde L, Chiericatti C, Aringoli EE, Althaus RL, Basilico JC. Influence of environmental factors on airborne fungi in houses of Santa Fe City, Argentina. Sci Total Environ. 2007;376(1-3):143-50.
- Kochar S, Ahlawat M, Dahiya P, Chaudhary D. Assessment of allergenicity to fungal allergens of Rohtak city, Haryana, India. Allergy Rhinol (Providence). 2014;5(2):56-65.
- Hasnain SM, Al-Frayh AS, Al-Suwaine A, Gad-El-Rab MO, Harfi HA, Al-Sedairy S. Allergenic implication of airborne Ulocladium in Saudi Arabia. Grana. 1995;34(1):70-6.
- Uniprot.org. Taxonomy - Alternaria chartarum 2021 [cited 2021 7.12.21]. Available from: https://www.uniprot.org/taxonomy/119957.
- Twaroch TE, Curin M, Valenta R, Swoboda I. Mold allergens in respiratory allergy: from structure to therapy. Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2015;7(3):205-20.
- Moreno A, Pineda F, Alcover J, Rodríguez D, Palacios R, Martínez-Naves E. Orthologous Allergens and Diagnostic Utility of Major Allergen Alt a 1. Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2016;8(5):428-37.