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Airborne grain dust activation of complement.

Olenchock SA; Mull JC; Gladish ME; Peach MJ; Major PC

Occupational Pulmonary Disease Focus on Grain Dust and Health; :263-278

00112810

Airborne samples were collected from dust generated during grain transportation by conveyor belts in grain elevators to determine effects on human alternative pathway of complement. One half millimeter aliquots of normal human sera (NHS) were tested with 0.1 to 20.0 milligrams of airborne grain dust. The mixtures were incubated with constant shaking, centrifuged, and supernatant fluids were removed. Aliquots of each supernatant fluid underwent electrophoresis in 1 percent agarose with pH 8.4 buffer for 45 minutes. All grain dusts examined converted the proactivator of the third component of complement (C3PA) to the activator form (C3A) when incubated with precipin free NHS invitro. Conversion was dose dependent. Serum C3A activity differed with different grain dusts tested. The differences in electrophoresis patterns of sera incubated with these two dusts indicated that there were quantitated differences among grains. Experiments with serum from guinea-pigs confirmed that grain dusts activated the alternative pathway. Endotoxin was detected in every grain dust tested but was not responsible for decreases in serum complement concentrations. The authors conclude that inhaled airborne grain dusts elicit respiratory physiopathology and dose dependent inflammatory sequelae could be expected in pulmonary responses to airborne grain dust inhalation.

Pulmonary-system-disorders; Allergic-reactions; Air-contamination; Airborne-dusts; Natural-products; Laboratory-animals; Materials-storage; Dust-inhalation

Pulmonary-system-disorders

Occupational Pulmonary Disease Focus on Grain Dust and Health