Skin prick test reactivity in allergic rhinitis patients to airborne pollens.

The aim was to investigate the impact of atmospheric pollen in determining allergic rhinitis. It was conducted with 130 patients with allergic rhinitis in three different sites in Eskisehir, Turkey, in 2000-2001, using a gravimetric method with a Durham sampler. Skin prick test results, the symptoms of patients and their findings all confirmed the presence of allergic reactions to pollen allergens in the patients observed. During the period, a total of 47,082 pollen grains/cm(2) belonging to 45 taxa were recorded. Of the total pollen grains, 81.0% were arboreal and 18% non-arboreal. The majority of the investigated pollen grains were from Pinaceae, Salix spp., Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae, Cupressaceae and Poaceae. Pollen concentrations reached the highest level in May (54.36%). The pollen allergens provoking severe sensitization were grasscereal mixtures (58.5%), followed by arboreals (33.8%). All patients (100.0%) were sensitive to grass. This study emphasizes the significance of determining the types and concentrations of pollen with a view to comparing changes in highly concentrated allergens.

Atrioventricular block induced by mad-honey intoxication: confirmation of diagnosis by pollen analysis.

An unusual type of food poisoning, mad-honey intoxication, can be observed in the Black Sea region of Turkey and various other parts of the world. It can occur after ingestion of grayanotoxin-contaminated honey produced from the nectar of Rhododendron ponticum and other plant species, chiefly of the Ericaceae and Sapindaceae families. Mad-honey intoxication can result in severe cardiac complications, such as complete atrioventricular block. The diagnosis is generally reached on the basis of the patient's history of honey intake. In this report, we describe the case of a patient who had mad-honey-related complete atrioventricular block; in this instance, the diagnosis was confirmed by a pollen analysis of the suspect honey.

Airborne Alternaria and Cladosporium species and relationship with meteorological conditions in Eskisehir City, Turkey.

Alternaria and Cladosporium, known as the most allergenic spores were first collected by means of Durham gravimetric sampler from Eskisehir atmosphere from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2001. The daily, monthly and annual variations in spores/cm(2) of Cladosporium and Alternaria were recorded. During this period, a total of 10.231 spores belonging to Cladosporium and Alternaria genera were recorded. Of these spores, 5,103 were identified in 2000 and 5,128 in 2001. While 63.09% of the total spores were those of Cladosporium, 36.91% were of Alternaria. Relationships between airborne fungal spore presence and meteorological conditions were statistically investigated. A Shapiro-Wilk test revealed that the airborne Cladosporium and Alternaria spores differed from a normal distribution. Thus, a Friedmann test was performed followed by a Pearson Correlation Analysis. The effects of rainfall, temperature and wind speed on Cladosporium and Alternaria numbers were non-significant according to the sites and months (p > 0.05), but the effects of relative humidity on Cladosporium and Alternaria numbers were significant (p < 0.01). Spore concentrations reached to their highest levels in May 2001.