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Vishniacozyma victoriae (syn. Cryptococcus victoriae) in the homes of asthmatic and non-asthmatic children in New York City

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 32, pages 48–59 (2022)Cite this article

Abstract

Background

Indoor environments contain a broad diversity of non-pathogenic Basidiomycota yeasts, but their role in exacerbating adverse health effects has remained unclear.

Objective

To understand the role of Vishniacozyma victoriae exposure and its impact on human health.

Methods

A qPCR assay was developed to detect and quantify an abundant indoor yeast species, Vishniacozyma victoriae (syn. Cryptococcus victoriae), from homes participating in the New York City Neighborhood Asthma and Allergy Study (NAAS). We evaluated the associations between V. victoriae, housing characteristics, and asthma relevant health endpoints.

Results

V. victoriae was quantified in 236 of the 256 bedroom floor dust samples ranging from less than 300–45,918 cell equivalents/mg of dust. Higher concentrations of V. victoriae were significantly associated with carpeted bedroom floors (P = 0.044), mean specific humidity (P = 0.004), winter (P < 0.0001) and spring (P = 0.001) seasons, and the presence of dog (P = 0.010) and dog allergen Can f 1 (P = 0.027). V. victoriae concentrations were lower in homes of children with asthma vs. without asthma (P = 0.027), an association observed only among the non-seroatopic children.

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Fig. 1: V. victoriae standard curve development and distribution.
Fig. 2: Association of V. victoriae with asthma.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge Angela Lemons for her assistance with techniques and manuscript preparation. We would like to thank the NYC Neighborhood Asthma and Allergy Study field team for their hard work. We would also like to thank the families who have participated in the study. The findings and conclusions in this study are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Funding

This study was supported in part by an interagency agreement between NIOSH and NIEHS (AES 12007001-1-0-6) as a collaborative National Toxicology Program research activity. This study was supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) [grant #’s R01 ES014400, P30 ES09089] the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Healthy Homes, and Lead Technical Study [HUD NYHHU0003-11, NYHHU0021-13].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA

    Rachael E. Rush

  2. Allergy and Clinical Immunology Branch, Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown, WV, USA

    Rachael E. Rush & Tara L. Croston

  3. Department of Civil, Environmental & Geodetic Engineering, College of Engineering, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

    Karen C. Dannemiller, Samuel J. Cochran & Sarah R. Haines

  4. Division of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Public Health, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

    Karen C. Dannemiller, Samuel J. Cochran & Sarah R. Haines

  5. Environmental Sciences Graduate Program, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

    Samuel J. Cochran & Sarah R. Haines

  6. Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Luis Acosta, Adnan Divjan & Matthew S. Perzanowski

  7. Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Andrew G. Rundle

  8. Division of Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA

    Rachel L. Miller

  9. Office of the Director, Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown, WV, USA

    Brett J. Green

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Correspondence to Brett J. Green.

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Rush, R.E., Dannemiller, K.C., Cochran, S.J. et al. Vishniacozyma victoriae (syn. Cryptococcus victoriae) in the homes of asthmatic and non-asthmatic children in New York City. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 32, 48–59 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41370-021-00342-4

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