Exposure to Cypress Pollens and Subsequent Symptoms: A Panel Study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this panel study was to document the relationship between exposure to cypress pollen and allergic symptoms. METHODS: The study group included 47 patients with allergy to cypress pollen who completed a daily diary and a weekly evaluation of quality of life (QoL) during the cypress pollen season. Different patients were included in three consecutive pollen seasons: 2014-2015, 2015-2016, and 2016-2017. Daily cypress pollen counts were obtained from the National Aerobiological Network. Air pollution and meteorological data were recorded on a daily basis. The pollen-symptoms relationship was quantified by calculating odds ratios for an increase of 1 log of grains of pollen/m3, taking into account potential confounding factors. The QoL score was expressed with a beta coefficient that increased with 1 grain of pollen/m3. RESULTS: There was a marked increase in rhinitis and ocular symptoms during the pollen season, with a plateau effect at high levels of exposure, but no relationship with bronchial symptoms. The QoL score had a linear and significant relationship with the cypress pollen count. We did not detect any threshold level. CONCLUSION: This panel study demonstrated a significant association between exposure to cypress pollens and allergic symptoms, with a plateau effect for high exposures.

Repeat-Dose Toxicity Study Using the AFPL1-Conjugate Nicotine Vaccine in Male Sprague Dawley Rats.

Tobacco smoking is the cause of 20% of Canadian deaths per year. Nicotine vaccines present a promising alternative to traditional smoking cessation products, but to date, no vaccine has been able to move through all phases of clinical trials. We have previously demonstrated that the AFPL1-conjugate nicotine vaccine does not induce systemic or immunotoxicity in a mouse model and that a heterologous vaccination approach is more advantageous than the homologous routes to inducing mucosal and systemic anti-nicotine antibodies. The purpose of this study was to confirm the safety profile of the vaccine in a repeat-dose toxicity study. The heterologous vaccination strategy was again used, and Sprague Dawley rats were administered a dose five times greater than in our previous studies. Physiological conditions, food and water consumption, body temperature, injection site inflammation, relative weights of organs, histopathology, and blood chemistry and hematology were evaluated during the course of the vaccination period to determine the safety of the vaccine. The AFPL1-conjugate nicotine vaccine did not induce clinically relevant changes or induce symptoms that would be associated with toxicity, making it a promising candidate for future investigations.