Association Between Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis and Air Pollution, Meteorological Factors, and Grass Pollen Counts in Madrid (1996 and 2009).

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between meteorological and pollution-related variables and the symptoms of patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis due to sensitization to grass pollen during 2 different time periods in Madrid, Spain. METHODS: Between March 23 and December 31 in 1996 and 2009, we carried out a daily count of grass pollen grains (Burkard spore trap) and recorded the rhinitis symptom scores in 2 groups of patients with a history of seasonal allergic rhinitis (n=25 in 1996 and n=23 in 2009). Descriptive statistics of the same variables during the study periods were recorded. Associations between variables were assessed using the paired-samples Wilcoxon test and categorical principal component analysis (CatPCA, SPSS24 package). RESULTS: The mean symptom score was low in 1996 and moderate in 2009. The 1996 and 2009 CatPCA analysis explained around 66.4% and 70.5% of the variance, respectively. The strongest relationships in 1996 were between symptoms and grass pollen counts (R=0.55) and between temperature and ozone (R=0.63). In 2009, the association between temperature and pollution-related variables was even stronger than in 1996 (ozone [R=0.53] and PM10 [R=0.34], with a positive sign in both cases). CONCLUSIONS: The effect of temperature and pollution (mainly ozone, even at lower atmospheric concentrations than in established guidelines for effects on health) may have contributed to the higher seasonal allergic rhinitis symptom score recorded in 2009.

Landmarks in Allergy during the 19th Century.

There were remarkable achievements in the 19th century in our understanding of the cells of the allergic response, the clear descriptions of hay fever and asthma, as well as the role of pollen in seasonal rhinitis. Although allergy as a concept was not developed until well into the 20th century, the foundations of our present understanding of these diseases were laid in the 1800s. The outstanding physicians and scientists of this time included Paul Ehrlich (who described mast cells, eosinophils and basophils), John Bostock (who provided the first detailed account of hay fever), Charles Blackley (who showed that pollen was the cause of hay fever), Morrill Wyman (who demonstrated that autumnal catarrh was due to ragweed pollen), Henry Hide Salter (who made the first classic description of asthma) and Henri Laënnec (the inventor of the stethoscope).

Pollen and pollinosis.

Pollen grains only represent a small fraction of the total amount of the viable biological particles present in the air, but pollen are the most important aeroallergens in the outdoor environment. The analysis of pollen has traditionally been carried out by microscopy, which can be traced back to the 17th century. Modern advances in molecular analysis could improve information for allergy sufferers and health care professionals. Pollen allergy (pollinosis) was first described in the 19th century. The prevalence of respiratory diseases increased dramatically during the latter part of the 20th century and millions of individuals are now affected. A number of scientists devised equipment to examine airborne biological particles during the 19th century, but aerobiological monitoring only became standardized during the 20th century. Airborne pollen are routinely monitored in many parts of the world, such as North America and Europe, and the first limited network has also been created for monitoring airborne allergen concentrations. Monitoring of the environment is often based on a combination of measurements and model results. Source-based models can increase our knowledge of airborne pollen because they can explain situations and processes that are almost impossible to understand using observations alone.

New insights into an old story: pollen ROS also play a role in hay fever.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) can exhibit negative and benign traits. In plants, ROS levels increase markedly during periods of environmental stress, and defense against pathogen attack. ROS form naturally as a by-product of normal oxygen metabolism, and evenly play an essential role in cell growth. The short ROS lifespan makes them ideal molecules to act in cell signaling, a role they share in both plants and animals. A particular plant organism, the pollen grain, may closely interact with human mucosa and an allergic inflammatory response often results. Pollen grain ROS represent a first, crucial signal which primes and magnifies a cascade of events in the allergic response.

Prevalence of Artemisia species pollinosis in western Poland: impact of climate change on aerobiological trends, 1995-2004.

BACKGROUND: Artemisia species pollen represents a major cause of allergy in Central Europe. Variations in the pollen season, the influence of climate variables and the prevalence of pollinosis to it were analyzed in Poznan, in western Poland between 1995 and 2004. METHODS: A Hirst volumetric spore trap was used for atmospheric sampling. Pollination date trend analysis and Spearman correlation tests were performed. Skin prick tests (SPT) and allergen specific immunoglobulin (lg)E antibody measurements were performed in 676 and 524 patients, respectively. RESULTS: The Artemisia species pollen season grew longer due to a clear advance in the starting day and only a slightly earlier end point; the peak day also came slightly earlier. Rainfall in the first fortnight of July highly influenced pollen season severity. Temperature was directly correlated with daily Artemisia species pollen levels; relative humidity was inversely correlated. Twelve percent of patients had a positive SPT reaction to Artemisia species. Their symptoms were rhinitis and conjunctivitis (15%), atopic dermatitis (15%), chronic urticaria (14.3%), bronchial asthma (2.4%), and facial and disseminated dermatitis (1.3%). Elevated specific IgE concentrations were detected in the sera of 10.1% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Artemisia species pollen is an important cause of pollinosis in western Poland. Pollen season intensity is highly influenced by rainfall in the previous weeks. Trends towards earlier season starts and longer duration, possibly caused by climate change, may have an impact on the allergic population.

Historical background of aeropalynology in the Canary Islands.

This paper forms part of a Doctorate Thesis, currently being completed at the Allergy and Immunology Section of the Ntra. Sra. de la Candelaria Hospital, Tenerife, regarding the Epidemiology of pollens We would like to illustrate that this island and its provinces are similar to a miniature continent, where pollens from the most important allergenic families present in the National Territory of the Iberian Peninsula can be found. We have a very high incidence of patients allergic to grass pollens (gramineas), Mugwort (Artemisia), Pellitory (Parietaria) and plantain (Plantago) pollens, with respect to the number of inhabitants and allergic subjects living on our island. In a further paper, we shall expose the graphs corresponding to an Aerobiological Study during the last five years, where we obtained more than 100 gr of pollen per m3 of air.

[Retrospect and perspective in rhinologic allergology]. / Rückblick und Perspektiven in der rhinologischen Allergologie.

The first classical description of allergic rhinitis was given by John Bostock in 1819, and Blackley demonstrated the etiology in 1873. In 1906 Clemens von Pirquet discussed a relationship between hypersensitivity and immunity: he called it allergy. In 1922 Prausnitz and Kustner described the transfer of the immediate type hypersensitivity by serum. Coca and Cooke called the factor atopic reagin. The breakthrough in 1967 was due to Ishizaka and Ishizaka who discovered the IgE-antibodies, and proved that these are identical with the postulated reaginic antibodies. The knowledge of the new IgE-antibody class allowed the incorporation of nasal allergy in clinical immunology.

Review of hay fever. 1. Historical background and mechanisms.

This is the first of two review articles about hay fever. The historical background of hay fever, including 'rose fever' in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and the discovery of immunoglobulin E is described. The second section deals with the botanical aspects, aerobiology, climate and topography and geographical differences. Next, the prevalence of hay fever in the community, its natural history and age--sex incidence are considered. The influence of hereditary factors, time of birth and the relationship of hay fever to asthma are also dealt with. The role of the relevant aeroallergen, pollen characteristics and chemistry and allergen exposure lead logically to a description of our current understanding of the type 1 immune reaction. The second article will deal with clinical features, diagnosis and investigation, and treatment.