Three-year pollen and fungi calendar in a Mediterranean region of the Northeast Greece

Abstract

Introduction and objectives: Pollen calendars have been proved clinically important in allergic disease management, as differences in airborne allergens exist not only between different countries but also between regions of the same country as well. This study aims to provide new data regarding the atmospheric pollen and fungi content of a Mediterranean region (Western Thrace/North-East Greece) and discuss seasonal trends, differences in pollen grains and fungi spores’ circulation over the years, and correlations with climate parameters. Material and methods: A 7-day continuously running volumetric trap was used to collect circulating pollen grains and fungi spores. Pollen taxa and fungi were characterized by standard protocols and counted as grains /m3 and average total grains and spores. The primary allergenic pollen season was discovered, and their 10-day averages were measured over time. Correlations with temperature, rain, and humidity were assessed by single linear regression analysis. Results: Pollen grains from nine pollen families were identified, including five arboreal, two nonarboreal taxa, and spores from two fungi species. The three most prevalent taxa were Oleaceae, Poaceae, Pinaceae, and Cladosporium in the fungi. Peak pollen concentrations were detected during April and May, with daily averages exceeding 170 grains/m3. Poaceae presented the longest pollen season of 342 days and Oleaceae the shortest, extending to only 110 days, during the 3years. Cladosporium was the fungus with the highest spore concentration (180,129.9 spores) compared with Alternaria (28,026.1 spores). Correlations with meteorological parameters showed variable associations among different taxa, with rainfall and relative humidity being the most significant determinants. Conclusion: In this study, the pollenic and fungal spectrum of a Mediterranean region and information that can be proved clinically significant for the appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic approach of allergic patients was presented.

A Fungal Spore Calendar for England: Analysis of 13 years of Daily Concentrations at Leicester, UK

“…Comparable annual distribution patterns were observed in other studies, carried out at similar latitudes in Europe to Leicester (Corden and Millington, 2001; Martínez-Bracero et al, 2022; Nikkels et al, 1996; Sadys et al, 2016a). However, at locations with a more southerly latitude and Mediterranean climate these spores tended to appear earlier in the year and remain for a longer period of time (Anees-Hill et al, 2022; Antón et al, 2019; Katotomichelakis et al, 2016; Katsimpris et al, 2022; Reyes et al, 2016; Sousa et al, 2016). Of the more abundant spores observed in this study only Leptosphaeria showed a differing annual distribution compared to other sites.…”

Features of the seasonal dynamics of airborne fungal spore concentrations in Ukraine

“…Cladosporium (66%), Alternaria (1.67%) and Leptosphaeria (1.21%) dominated in Szczecin in Poland (Bednarz & Pawłowska, 2016). Cladosporium spores were noted as a primary airborne fungal component in both indoor and outdoor environments in Netherlands (Segers et al, 2023), Lithuania (Sauliene et al, 2023) and North-East Greece (Katsimpris et al, 2022).…”

Recent Advances in the Allergic Cross-Reactivity between Fungi and Foods

“…A study in Western Thrace shows that the main spore season for fungal circulation in the atmosphere was observed from May to November. The highest concentration of Alternaria and Cladosporium was noticed in summer, with its peak in June for Alternaria and in July for Cladosporium [37].…”

“…However, Alternaria and Cladosporium generally peak in midafternoon during periods of low humidity [8,39]. They are positively correlated with the daily average temperature and negatively correlated with the relative humidity [13,37].…”