Isolating the UV222 Inactivation Responses of Common Airborne Allergens at Different Relative Humidity Levels
MARK HERNANDEZ, University of Colorado at Boulder
Abstract Number: 559
Working Group: Bioaerosols
Abstract
Airborne allergens pose unique indoor air quality challenges; of these, dust mites, molds, pollen, and pet dander are sources for a variety of immunogenic antigens. These allergens can trigger allergenic and hypersensitivity responses in the eyes, nasal passages, and lungs. Allergen protein conformation is specifically recognized by the mammalian immune system, resulting in a broad variety of atopic responses where the allergen structure is essential in facilitating pro-inflammatory functions; thus, bioaerosol intervention methods that act to disrupt allergen protein conformation represent new treatment strategies for reducing the negative health effects associated with allergen exposure through the route of inhalation. In this context, we report here that UV222 exposures can reduce allergens in an airborne state as measured by immunoassays, which rely on the intact protein structure for quantification.
Full-scale chamber studies were conducted to assess the denaturing effects known doses of UV222 had on the protein conformation of the following allergens in an airborne state: Der p1, Der f1, Asp f1, Can f1, Fel d1, Phl p5, and Bet v1. These allergens were aerosolized in a respirable size range and contained, well-mixed, humidity-controlled chambers (1 m3 and 10 m3) samples of which were collected in time-series using condensation growth tube BioSpot samplers. Aeroallergens were measured by ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) or MARIA (Multiplex Array for Indoor Allergens), both of which utilize widely accepted antibody-based allergen epitope recognition.
Aerosols recovered in the presence of UV222 showed a decrease in aeroallergen half-life following as early as 20 minutes of exposure to UV222 when compared to otherwise identical chamber experiments without UV222. These results suggest that UV222 may be applied to inactivate airborne allergens by disrupting their conformational structure and/or degrading the allergenic proteins in time frames relevant to common indoor air exchange rates.