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Relative moldiness index as predictor of childhood respiratory illness

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 17, pages 88–94 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

The results of a traditional visual mold inspection were compared to a mold evaluation based on the Relative Moldiness Index (RMI). The RMI is calculated from mold-specific quantitative PCR (MSQPCR) measurements of the concentration of 36 species of molds in floor dust samples. These two prospective mold evaluations were used to classify the mold condition in 271 homes of infants. Later, the development of respiratory illness was measured in the infants living in these homes and the predictive value of each classification system was evaluated.

The binary classification of homes as either moldy or non-moldy by on-site visual home inspection was not predictive of the development of respiratory illness (wheeze and/or rhinitis) (P=0.27). Conversely, a method developed and validated in this paper, using the RMI index fit to a logistic function, can be used to predict the occurrence of illness in homes and allows stake-holders the choice among various levels of risk.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to all parents and children who participated as well as to all home visit teams, subject recruitment teams, and clinic personnel of the CCAAPS. This research was supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Grant No. RO1 ES11170 awarded to the University of Cincinnati. This research was also supported by funding from the EPA Asthma Initiative.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. US Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Stephen J Vesper & Richard A Haugland

  2. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Statistical Sciences, Richland, WA, USA

    Craig Mckinstry

  3. Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Yulia Iossifova, Grace Lemasters, Linda Levin & Tiina Reponen

  4. Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Gurjit K Khurana Hershey

  5. Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Manuel Villareal, David I Bernstein & James Lockey

Authors
  1. Stephen J Vesper
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  2. Craig Mckinstry
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  3. Richard A Haugland
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  4. Yulia Iossifova
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  5. Grace Lemasters
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  6. Linda Levin
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  7. Gurjit K Khurana Hershey
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  8. Manuel Villareal
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  9. David I Bernstein
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  10. James Lockey
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  11. Tiina Reponen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stephen J Vesper.

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Disclaimer

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through its Office of Research and Development, funded and collaborated in the research described here. It has been subjected to the Agency's peer review and has been approved as an EPA publication. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the EPA for use.

MSQPCR technology was patented by the US EPA (# 6 387 652). Thus, the EPA has a financial interest in the commercial use of this technology.

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Vesper, S., Mckinstry, C., Haugland, R. et al. Relative moldiness index as predictor of childhood respiratory illness. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 17, 88–94 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jes.7500528

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