Relationship between Pollen Counts and Weather Variables in East‐Mediterranean Coast of Turkey

Abstract

Background: Aeroallergen sampling provides information regarding the onset, duration and severity of the pollen season that clinicians use to guide allergen selection for skin testing and treatment. Objectives: This atmospheric survey reports (1) airborne pollen contributions in Adana in one-year period (2) pollen onset, duration and peak level (3) the relationship between airborne pollen and selected meteorological variables and; (4) effects on symptoms in pollen allergic children. Methods: Pollen sampling was performed with a volumetric Burkard Spore Trap. Meteorological data were measured daily from April 2001 to April 2002. Asthma symptom scores were investigated in 186 pollen allergic children that were on follow up in pediatric allergy outpatient clinics during same period. Results: Average measurements included 82.5% tree pollen, 7.7% grass pollen and 9.8% herb pollen 54 taxa were identified during one year. The most prominent tree pollens were Cupressaceae, Eucalyptus and Pinus. The most common herb was Chenopodiaceae pollen family. When airborne pollen levels were examined in relation to single meteorological conditions; daily variations in total pollen counts were not significantly correlated with any variable studied (humidity, rainfall, temperature and wind) (p>0.05). On the other hand, statistically significant relationship between pollen concentration and symptom scores were found (p>0.05). Positive correlations were seen between both Gramineae and Herb pollen, and humidity and rainfall from March to July. However, positive correlations were detected between tree pollen counts and temperature and humidity in May and June. Conclusion: This survey is the first volumetric airborne pollen analysis conducted in the survey area in Adana. This study suggested that the effects of weather on pollen count and symptom scores in this population could not be clearly identified with the evaluation of one-year data. However, pollen counts had effect on allergic symptoms in pollen allergic children. Examination of the complex interaction of multiple whether parameters would perhaps more fully elucidate the relationship between meteorology and aerobiology and provide the clinician with information necessary to forecast pollen prevalence. An awareness of the ever chancing, local aeroallergen patterns requires regular monitoring. Such awareness serves as a useful guide in the effective testing and treatment of atopic patients.

Efficacy and safety of timothy grass allergy immunotherapy tablets in North American children and adolescents

“…19,22 Symptom severity (and subsequent rescue medication use) is associated with pollen exposure, 29 and in this study the average and peak pollen counts were relatively low compared with those in the European grass AIT trials, 19,22 which likely influenced the DMS. Given the low grass pollen counts during the GPS, it is not unexpected that rescue medication levels did not reach higher magnitudes.…”

Exposure to airborne microorganisms, hyphal fragments, and pollen in a field of organically grown strawberries

“…Day 1 was significantly higher than the rest with a mean of 1.7 9 10 4 pollen grains m -3 , while the other days had a mean value of 3.1 9 10 3 pollen grains m -3 . A Spanish study measuring pollen in an urban setting for 2 years found a maximum daily concentration of 730 pollen grains m -3 (Tormo-Molina et al 2009), and a British and a Turkish study both in cities found a total annual pollen count of respectively 3.0 9 10 4 and 3.3 9 10 4 pollen grains m -3 (Altintas et al 2004;Pashley et al 2009). …”

Skin Prick Testing to Aeroallergen Extracts: What Is the Optimal Panel in Children and Adolescents in Turkey?

“…A positive SPT result to at least one of the allergen extracts tested was accepted as the presence of sensitization for that patient. We did not use a common aeroallergen extract, ragweed, of the pan-European GA 2 LEN skin test study because of the undetectable pollen counts for ambrosia in the atmosphere of Turkey [10,11]. …”