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Fungi in the sputum. of normal men

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Abstract

A standardized survey of respiratory and cardiovascular findings was conducted among male telephone workers in Baltimore, Maryland who were over 40 years of age. Sputum produced within 1 hour after arising was requested as part of the examination. All but 1 of the 246 eligible employees returned the specimen bottles, but only 103 were able to produce sputum in time for examination. All suspected fungal growth was isolated and insofar as possible identified as to genus.

Some fungus was isolated from 83 of the 103 specimens.Penicillium was found in about 40 per cent of the specimens,Hormodendrum in about 30 per cent, andAlternaria in about 10 per cent. The association of chronic wheezing and subsequent respiratory illness with the presence ofHormodendrum orAlternaria in the sputum was sufficiently marked to suggest further investigations of this association for possible etiologic relationships.

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From the Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, Md.; Research Section, Tuberculosis Branch, Center for Disease Control, U.S. Public Health Service, Bethesda, Md.: and Medical Department, American Telephone and Telegraph Company, New York, N.Y.

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Comstock, G.W., Palmer, C.E., Stone, R.W. et al. Fungi in the sputum. of normal men. Mycopathologia et Mycologia Applicata 54, 55–62 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02055973

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02055973

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