Pollen‐related allergy in Europe*

Abstract

The increasing mobility of Europeans for business and leisure has led to a need for reliable information about exposure to seasonal airborne allergens during travel abroad. Over the last 10 years or so, aeropalynologic and allergologic studies have progressed to meet this need, and extensive international networks now provide regular pollen and hay-fever forecasts. Europe is a geographically complex continent with a widely diverse climate and a wide spectrum of vegetation. Consequently, pollen calendars differ from one area to another; however, on the whole, pollination starts in spring and ends in autumn. Grass pollen is by far the most frequent cause of pollinosis in Europe. In northern Europe, pollen from species of the family Betulaceae is a major cause of the disorder. In contrast, the mild winters and dry summers of Mediterranean areas favor the production of pollen types that are rarely found in central and northern areas of the continent (e.g., the genera Parietaria, Olea, and Cupressus). Clinical and aerobiologic studies show that the pollen map of Europe is changing also as a result of cultural factors (e.g., importation of plants for urban parklands) and greater international travel (e.g., the expansion of the ragweed genus Ambrosia in France, northern Italy, Austria, and Hungary). Studies on allergen-carrying paucimicronic or submicronic airborne particles, which penetrate deep into the lung, are having a relevant impact on our understanding of pollinosis and its distribution throughout Europe.

Improvement in the accuracy of back trajectories using WRF to identify pollen sources in southern Iberian Peninsula

“…Furthermore, the episode is analysed by using 3D simulations with the WRF model to explain the overall atmospheric conditions during the episode. The selection of this pollen species is based on two facts: (1) Olea pollen is the major cause of allergy in southern Spain (D'Amato et al 1998;De Linares et al 2007) and (2) Olea is the most important species from the agronomic and economic point of view in the Mediterranean area (IOC 2011). The present study determines the meteorological conditions and topographic main sources of Olea pollen that cause an increase in airborne pollen concentration out of the main pollen season.…”

Direct In Vivo Monitoring of Acute Allergic Reactions in Human Conjunctiva

“…One drop of birch allergen (100,000 SQ-U/ml; ALK) or histamine diphosphate (HIST) 3 (0.5 mg/ml) was applied (1 ml standard tuberculin injection syringe) into the conjunctival sac of the eye, after which the eye was kept closed for 30 s. The medial canthus was compressed to prevent the flow of allergen into the lacrimal channel. Allergic symptoms (redness, tearing, chemosis, and itching) were scaled according to Abelson et al (17) before the challenge and 15, 30, and 60 min afterward.…”

“…Allergic conjunctivitis is a type-I hypersensitivity reaction initiated by allergen cross-linking of specific IgE molecules on mast cells within the conjunctiva of sensitized patients (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6). Release of mast-cell mediators such as histamine, bradykinin, platelet activating factor, and leukotrienes trigger an inflammatory reaction including local itching, redness, chemosis, and leukocyte extravasation (7).…”

Association of asthma and total IgE levels with human leucocyte antigen-DR in patients with grass allergy

“…Grass-pollen allergy affects nearly 20% of the European population [1]. Exposure to grass pollens reveals, in sensitive patients, symptoms of rhinitis, conjunctivitis and/or bronchial asthma.…”