No abstract

Pollen is one of the primary causes of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis in urban centers. In the present study, the concentrations of 39 different pollens in the Santiago de Chile metropolitan area over the period 2009–2013 are characterized. The pollen was monitored daily using Burkard volumetric equipment. The contribution of each type of pollen and the corresponding time trends are evaluated. The concentrations of the pollens are compared with the established threshold levels for the protection of human health. The results show that the total amount of pollen grains originating from trees, grasses, weeds and indeterminate sources throughout the period of the study was 258,496 grains m-3, with an annual average of 51,699 ± 3,906 grains m-3 year-1. The primary source of pollen is Platanus orientalis, which produces 61.8% of the analyzed pollen. Grass pollen is the third primary component of the analyzed pollen, with a contribution of 5.82%. Among the weeds, the presence of Urticacea (3.74%) is remarkable. The pollination pattern of the trees is monophasic, and the grasses have a biphasic pattern. The trends indicate that the total pollen and tree pollen do not present a time trend that is statistically significant throughout the period of the study, whereas the grass pollen and weed pollen concentrations in the environment present a statistically significant decreasing trend. The cause of this decrease is unclear. The pollen load has doubled over the past decade. When the observed concentrations of the pollens were compared with the corresponding threshold levels, the results indicated that over the period of the study, the pollen concentrations were at moderate, high and very high levels for an average of 293 days per year. Systematic counts of the pollen grains are an essential method for diagnosing and treating patients with pollinosis and for developing forestation and urban planning strategies.

The population of Talca was exposed to high concentrations of allergenic pollen, such as P. acerifolia, A. pseudoplatanus, and grasses in the months of August through November. The detection of O. europaea and A. artemisiifolia is important as these are emergent pollens in the city of Talca. Aerobiological monitoring will provide the community with reliable information about the level of allergenic pollens, improving treatment and quality of life of patients with respiratory allergy.

Artículo de publicación ISIParietaria pollen has never been considered as a significant cause of pollinosis in Chile; therefore, the sensitization to Parietaria study has never been included in the study of patients with clinical suspicion of pollinosis in this region. The objective of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of pollinosis caused by Parietaria in the Valparaı´so region, related to air concentrations of this kind of pollen. A cross-sectional studywas performedin the city of Valparaı´so. It consisted of two stages: In the first, pollen grains were counted between 1999 and 2001. In the second, a sensitization profile on a patient population diagnosed with ARC (allergic rhinoconjunctivitis) was evaluated. Parietaria judaica (P. judiaca) presented pollination all year long, with aggravation in the spring and summer, and with values reaching 80 grains/m3 (weekly average). These findings determined the transience of the symptoms in this population, which is mainly perennial with seasonal aggravations. A total of 72 atopic subjects were obtained during the whole sample recollection period. P. judaica was the second most frequent cause of sensitization (60 %) after Dermatophagoides in the sample overall. Also, in monosensitized subjects, it was the first cause of pollen sensitization. P. judaica represents the second cause of allergy in Valparaı´so and the first cause of pollinosis. These findings suggest the importance of quantifying Parietaria in Valparaı´so and near cities, plus investigating the presence of sensitization and symptoms to allergies in a significant proportion of patients in this region