W.G. Sorenson

Adjunct Professor
Mycology
Phone: (304) 285-5797
Fax: (304) 285-5861
E-mail: wgel@cdc.gov

Education

B.A., University of Iowa, 1958
M.S. University of Iowa, 1962
Ph.D. The University of Texas, 1964

Research

My research at NIOSH deals with the question as to whether exposure to airborne mycotoxins represents a hazard for occupational lung disease(s) and consists of three primary areas of investigation, i.e., (1) whether mycotoxins occur in workplace aerosols, (2) whether mycotoxins occur in spores, and (3) the effects of known mycotoxins on cells of the lung. In this context, we have demonstrated the presence of aflatoxin in airborne corn and peanut dust in workplaces, we demonstrated the presence of macrocyclic trichothecene mycotoxins in the conidia of Stachybotrys atra, and we showed that several mycotoxins are highly toxic to rat alveolar macrophages in vitro. More recently, we were involved in a study of infant hemosiderosis associated with S. atra contamination in homes in Cleveland, OH. These studies have provided epidemiological evidence supporting the hypothesis that S. atra toxins may be responsible for these incidents and deaths. Additional studies in recent years has focused on the fungal composition (including yeasts) of materials collected from outbreaks of organic dust toxic syndrome and on the effects of fungal spores and glucans on activation of alveolar macrophages in vitro.

Selected recent publications:

Sorenson, W.G., David G. Frazer, Bruce J Jarvis, Janet Simpson, and Victor A. Robinson. 1987. Trichothecene mycotoxins in aerosolized conidia of Stachybotrys atra. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 53:1370-1375.

Sorenson, W.G. 1990. Mycotoxins as potential occupational hazards. Dev; Ind. Microbiol. (J. Ind. Microbiol., Suppl. No. 5) 31:205-211.

Sorenson, W.G. 1991. Yeasts and yeast-like fungi in stored timber. International Biodeterioration 29:373-382.

Sorenson, W.G. 1993. Mycotoxins: Toxic Metabolites of Fungi, In: Infectious Agents and Pathogenesis, H. Friedman, M. Bendinelli, and J. Murphy (eds.), Plenum Publ. Corp., New York, NY. pp.469-491.

Sorenson, W.G., T.A. Shahan, D.M. Lewis. Activation of alveolar macrophages by conidia of common fungi associated with organic dust toxic syndrome. 1995. In: Health Implications of fungi in Indoor Environments, R.A. Samson and B. Flannigan (eds.), Elsevier Sci. Publ. Amsterdam, pp. 325-343.

Sorenson, W.G. and D.M. Lewis. Organic dust toxic syndrome. 1996. In: The Mycota, K. Esser and P.A. Lemke. eds. Vol VII. "Animal and Human Relations.. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Germany. Chpt. 8, pp. 159-172.

Jarvis, B.B., Y. Zhou, J. Jiang, S. Wang, W.G. Sorenson, E.-L. Hintikka, M. Nikulin, P. Parikka, R.A. Etzel, and D.G. Dearborn. 1996. Toxigenic molds in water-damaged buildings:Dechlorogriseofulvins from Memnoniella echinata. J. Natural Products 59:553-554.

Sorenson, W.G., Jarvis, B., Zhou, Y., Jiang, J., Wang, S., Hintikka, and Nikulin, M. Toxine im Zusammenhang mit Stachybotrys und Memnoniella in Hausern mit Wasserschaden. In: 18. Mykotoxin Workshop, M. Gareis und R. Scheuer (eds.), Institut fur Mikobiologie und Toxikologie der Bundesanstalt fur Fleischforschung, Kulmbach, Germany.