Okay, how about we try these two:
<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=6348548&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_docsum">Allergenic fungi and actinomycetes in smoking materials and their health implications.</a>
Kurup VP, Resnick A, Kagen SL, Cohen SH, Fink JN.
Street marijuana, commercial cigarettes and pipe tobaccos were studied for the presence of fungi and actinomycetes associated with hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Aspergillus species and thermophilic actinomycetes were isolated from the smoking materials. In addition, Aspergillus fumigatus spores were isolated from marijuana smoke, indicating the potential hazard involved in developing serious disease. Precipitin antibodies against fungi, particularly Aspergillus, showed a higher prevalence in marijuana smokers, whereas only very few cigarette smokers and nonsmokers demonstrated antibodies to fungi. Cigarette smokers and nonsmokers showed more or less similar prevelance of antibodies against thermophilic actinomycetes.
<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=6833678&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_docsum">Marijuana smoking and fungal sensitization.</a>
Kagen SL, Kurup VP, Sohnle PG, Fink JN.
The possible role of marijuana (MJ) in inducing sensitization to Aspergillus organisms was studied in 28 MJ smokers by evaluating their clinical status and immune responses to microorganisms isolated from MJ. The spectrum of illnesses included one patient with systemic aspergillosis and seven patients with a history of bronchospasm after the smoking of MJ. Twenty-one smokers were asymptomatic. Fungi were identified in 13 of 14 MJ samples and included Aspergillus fumigatus, A. flavus, A. niger, Mucor, Penicillium, and thermophilic actinomycetes. Precipitins to Aspergillus antigens were found in 13 of 23 smokers and in one of 10 controls, while significant blastogenesis to Aspergillus was demonstrated in only three of 23 MJ smokers. When samples were smoked into an Andersen air sampler, A. fumigatus passed easily through contaminated MJ cigarettes. Thus the use of MJ assumes the risks of both fungal exposure and infection, as well as the possible induction of a variety of immunologic lung disorders.
And in case people don't know why aspergillus is bad for the CF patient (The pub med search for cystic fibrosis and aspergillus comes up with 279 hits):
<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17050421&query_hl=11&itool=pubmed_docsum">Genetic and respiratory tract risk factors for aspergillosis: ABPA and asthma with fungal sensitization.</a>
Knutsen AP.
St. Louis University Health Sciences Center, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is a Th2 allergic hypersensitivity lung disease due to bronchial colonization of Aspergillus fumigatus that affects 1-2% of asthmatic and 7-9% of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. We hypothesize that genetic risk factors predispose these patients to develop ABPA. We previously reported HLA-DR2 and DR5 restriction as a risk factor for the development of ABPA. We further propose that HLA-DR restriction is necessary but not sufficient for the development of ABPA. Recently, we reported that IL-4Ralpha single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and in particular the ile75val SNP in the IL-4 binding region is another risk factor and is associated with increased sensitivity to IL-4 stimulation. It has been reported that the combination of IL-4Ralpha and IL-13 SNP, ile75val/arg110gln, is associated with more severe asthma. In preliminary studies, we have observed increased frequency of this combination in ABPA asthmatic and CF patients. Another genetic risk factor reported by Brouard et al. is the -1082 GG genotype in the IL-10 promoter in CF patients for the colonization of A. fumigatus and development of ABPA. This genotype was associated with increased plasma IL-10 levels, and perhaps may be associated with increased skewing of Th2 Aspergillus responses rather than down-regulation of inflammatory responses. We hypothesize that increased sensitivity of IL-4 mediated activities secondary to polymorphisms IL-4R in conjunction of other polymorphisms such as IL-13 and IL-10 in conjunction with HLA-DR2/DR5 restriction to Aspergillus antigens in ABPA patients result in increased B-cell activity, monocyte/dendritic cell phenotype that skews Th2 responses, and skewing of Aspergillus-specific Th2 cells. This model system may be applicable to other fungi such as Alternaria and Cladosporium which is associated with increased asthma severity.
<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=16840406&query_hl=11&itool=pubmed_docsum">Aspergillus bronchitis in cystic fibrosis.</a>
Shoseyov D, Brownlee KG, Conway SP, Kerem E.
Department of Pediatrics and CF Center, Hadassah University Hospital, Mount Scopus, Jerusalem, Israel.
Aspergillus fumigatus, a widely distributed spore-bearing fungus, is commonly grown in sputum cultures of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). A fumigatus may cause allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), a complex condition that leads to worsening of airway inflammation and progressive damage and is diagnosed by specific criteria. In this report, we present six CF patients with respiratory deterioration that did not respond to appropriate antibiotic treatment. All had had A fumigatus in sputum cultures but did not fulfill the criteria of ABPA. Treatment with antifungal agents was followed by improvement in clinical condition. We suggest that in patients with CF, A fumigatus should be considered as a pathogen that may directly cause respiratory exacerbations. Antifungal therapy should be considered when deteriorating respiratory function is not responding to antibacterial therapy and A fumigatus is growing in sputum cultures.
My summary point is that... MJ and the assoicated smoke can contain aspergillus. Breathing aspergillus into the lungs is bad for CF patients. Indeed, there is no study on CF patients. Why? It's not ethical to treat patients with something you suspect will lead to clinical decline. Based on the case reports that do exist, we know that CF patients are susceptible to aspergillus, and that it causes clinical decline in a number of those patients.
Really, why risk smoking it? If you really want it, more than a few CF patients above have talked about eating it.
