Toxicology of 1 - 3-Beta-Glucans

The investigation of indoor air quality has shown that microbial contamination is often a problem in buildings. Recent evidence indicates that fungi are often a part of the picture. A component of the fungal cell wall, 1®3-ß-glucans not only affect human health, they are a marker for the existence of fungi in environmental samples.Toxicology of 1®3-ß-Glucans covers the basic chemistry and immunobiology of these substances. The authors begin by introducing current methods for detecting 1®3-ß-glucans in environmental samples and reviewing risk evaluation in the environment. They go on to discuss numerous topics including likely occupational and environmental exposure, studies suggesting a strong link between environmental glucan concentrations and pulmonary inflammation, and signal transduction pathways and specific receptors.No other book currently available brings together the expertise of leading international researchers to provide a straightforward monograph on the toxicology of 1®3-ß-glucans. It pulls together current knowledge of these compounds, their effects, measurement, monitoring, and risk assessment.