Principal Component Analysis to Evaluate Relationships in Reactivity to Commercial Extracts and Uncharacterized Fungi among Asthmatic and Allergic Rhinitis Subjects

Rationale Identifying patterns in reactivity to allergens can uncover shared respiratory health risks among subjects suffering from chronic respiratory diseases. Therefore, there is a need to identify statistical approaches that can expose inter-allergen relationships. Methods : We implemented spearman, exponential, and logistic principal component analysis on specific immunoglobulin-E (sIgE) levels, reactivity to commercial extracts, basidiomycetes (Ganoderma sp, Chlorophyllum sp, Pleurotus sp) crude extracts, and to previously uncharacterized fungal airborne particulate among asthmatics, allergic and non-allergic rhinitis subjects. Results : Positive correlations (p = 0.03 to p < 0.001) were identified between reactivity of two commercial fungal extracts (Aspergillus sp, Alternaria sp), and among all three basidiomycete crude extracts (Ganoderma sp., Chlorophyllum, sp, Pleurotus sp.; p = 0.01 to p < 0.001). sIgE levels correlated with all five categories of airborne fungal particulates (un-identified particulates, ascospores, basidiospores, fungal fragments, and mitosporic fungi), but only with three extracts (Aspergillus sp., Alternaria sp, and Chlorophyllum sp). Based on reactivity to fungal airborne particulate, we identified three groups: subjects reactive to ascospores, reactive to basidiospores and unidentified particulate, and reactive to mitosporic fungi and fungal fragments. Conclusions : Our finding suggests that PCA of sIgE, together with reactivity to commercial and previously uncharacterized allergens present a suitable strategy to identify respiratory health risks among individuals suffering from chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma and allergic rhinitis.