Search

Asthma is a chronic heterogeneous disease with characteristic symptoms, but with proper treatment the patient can lead a full life. In patients with allergic asthma, symptoms appear after irritation with an allergen, most often in the pollen season. In 2019, the viral disease COVID-19 appeared, which, especially in people with asthma, led not only to an asthma attack, but also to other serious diseases. The main aim was to investigate differences in patients' health status by comparing spirometric values in and out of pollen season (A), spirometric values before and after COVID-19 viral illness (B) and an anonymous questionnaire (C). Spirometric values were recorded in each patient (control group - patients diagnosed with asthma, research group - patients after overcoming COVID-19 disease) in 3 cycles, namely (in the pollen period, in the non-pollen period and after overcoming COVID-19 disease - at an interval of 2 months after a negative PCR test). We observed significant results during the individual spirometry performed (A) during the pollen season and non-pollen season. We observed the same in patients after they received COVID-19 treatment (B). Patients were also asked questions regarding family history, symptoms and their variability, worsening of the condition or correct inhalation technique (C). Our research shows that the PEF parameter is most affected by the pollen and non-pollen season in asthmatic patients. Significant differences in PEF parameter were observed between genders, where we observed highly significant statistical significance of PEF parameter in pollen and non-pollen season in females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerobiology could be used as complementary data or proxy for studying phenology, especially in species which usually are not long-distance transported, such as grasses. This 21-year aerobiological study took place in Évora (South Portugal), using a seven-day recording volumetric pollen trap with the aim of analysing the temporal trends of grass pollen seasons. To this end, data were statistically tested for correlation and regression to determine the features and temporal trends of pollen seasons. Main results show that Poaceae pollen has a high representation in pollen spectrum, 20% (min: 7%; max: 44%), with a long season starting in March and lasting till August/September or October. There was an overall, but not statistically significant trend, towards an increase in the annual pollen integral and peak values, and also an overall non-statistically significant trend towards an earlier start and later end of the pollen season. Main and high pollen seasons have been lasting longer, and the days with allergenic potential have been rising in line with the local temperature rising trend. It seems that grass pollen production is being aided by warmer temperatures and increased grassland areas in Alentejo region. This could promote the increase in annual pollen levels and in the number of high pollen days over the years. In clinical terms, it means that grass allergic patients are exposed to longer periods of airborne pollen and to higher counts over a longer time. The climate conditions projected for Alentejo region, including rising temperature, and the changes in local grassland areas may help to clarify the trends of grass pollen seasons in the next decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a widespread allergic airway disease that results from a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors and affects approximately 10%-40% of the global population. Pollen is a common allergen, and exposure to pollen can cause epigenetic changes. However, the mechanism underlying pollen-induced DNA methylation changes and their potential effects on the allergic march are still unclear. The purpose of this study was to explore the methylation-driven mechanisms of AR during the pollen and non-pollen seasons using bioinformatics analysis and to investigate their relationship with asthma. Methods: We downloaded DNA methylation and gene expression data from the GEO database (GSE50387: GSE50222, GSE50101) and identified differentially methylated positions (DMPs) and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) during the pollen and non-pollen seasons using the CHAMP and limma packages. Through correlation analysis, we identified methylation-driven genes and performed pathway enrichment analysis to annotate their functions. We incorporated external data on AR combined with asthma (GSE101720) for analysis to identify key CpGs that promote the transformation of AR to asthma. We also utilized external data on olive pollen allergy (GSE54522) for analysis to validate the methylation-driven genes. Weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) was employed to identify gene modules significantly correlated with pollen allergy. We extracted genes related to the key methylation-driven gene ZNF667-AS1 from the significant module and performed pathway intelligent clustering using KOBAS-i. We also utilized gene set enrichment analysis to explore the potential function of ZNF667-AS1. Results: We identified 20 and 24 CpG-Gene pairings during the pollen and nonpollen seasons. After incorporating external data from GSE101720, we found that ZNF667-AS1 is a key gene that may facilitate the transformation of AR into asthma during the pollen season. This finding was further validated in another external dataset, GSE54522, which is associated with pollen allergy. WGCNA identified 17 modules, among which the blue module showed significant correlation with allergies. ZNF667-AS1 was located in the blue module. We performed pathway analysis on the genes correlated with ZNF667-AS1 extracted from the blue module and identified a prominent cluster of pathways in the KOBAS-i results, including Toll-like receptor (TLR) family, MyD88, MAPK, and oxidative stress. Gene set enrichment analysis around cg05508084 (paired with ZNF667-AS1) also indicated its potential involvement in initiating and modulating allergic inflammation from the perspective of TLR and MAPK signaling. Conclusion: We identified methylation-driven genes and their related pathways during the pollen and non-pollen seasons in patients with AR and identified key CpGs that promote the transformation of AR into asthma due to pollen exposure. This study provides new insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms of the transformation of AR to asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Objective. Hazel, alder, birch, and poplar pollen allergens are a common cause of pollen allergies. In a temperate climate, wind-pollinated plants are characterized by a seasonal pollen release cycle associated with the seasons of the year and weather conditions. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess the course of pollen seasons of some allergenic plants and to determine the effect of meteorological factors on the content of pollen grains in the bioaerosol in 2021 in Kielce, Poland. Materials and method. In relation to selected meteorological parameters, the length of the total and main pollen season, the sum of daily pollen grain concentrations in the season, the peak pollen concentration, and the number of days with values exceeding the species-specific threshold concentrations, were determined. Results. Hazel and alder pollen were the first to appear in the air of Kielce. The longest pollen season was observed for birch, while hazel was characterized by the shortest season. The alder pollen release was intense, with the highest maximum concentration of pollen grains. The study revealed a significant influence of the maximum air temperature on the dynamics of hazel, alder and poplar pollen release. Birch pollen release was significantly correlated with the average air humidity. The concentration of alder and birch pollen grains also depended on rainfall intensity. The wind force had a significant impact on the pollen season of plants. Conclusions. There were various relationships between the meteorological factors and the content of pollen grains in the air. The wind speed and temperature had the greatest impact on plant pollen release, with birch and alder being particularly sensitive to weather conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Evidence of the role of interactions between air pollution and pollen exposure in subjects with allergic asthma is limited and need further exploration to promote adequate preventive measures. The objective of this study was to assess effects of exposure to ambient air pollution and birch pollen on exacerbation of respiratory symptoms in subjects with asthma and allergy to birch.Methods: Thirty-seven subjects from two Swedish cities (Gothenburg and Umeå) with large variation in exposure to both birch-pollen and air pollutants, participated in the study. All subjects had confirmed allergy to birch and self-reported physician-diagnosed asthma. The subjects recorded respiratory symptoms such as rhinitis or eye irritation, dry cough, dyspnoea, the use of any asthma or allergy medication and peak respiratory flow (PEF), daily for five consecutive weeks during two separate pollen seasons and a control season without pollen. Nitrogen oxides (NOx), ozone (O3), particulate matter (PM2.5), birch pollen counts, and meteorological data were obtained from an urban background monitoring stations in the study city centres. The data were analysed using linear mixed effects models.Results: During pollen seasons all symptoms and medication use were higher, and PEF was reduced in the subjects. In regression analysis, exposure to pollen at lags 0 to 2 days, and lags 0 to 6 days was associated with increased ORs of symptoms and decreased RRs for PEF. Pollen and air pollution interacted in some cases; during low pollen exposure, there were no associations between air pollution and symptoms, but during high pollen exposure, O3 concentrations were associated with increased OR of rhinitis or eye irritation, and PM2.5 concentrations were associated with increased ORs of rhinitis or eye irritation, dyspnea and increased use of allergy medication.Conclusions: Pollen and air pollutants interacted to increase the effect of air pollution on respiratory symptoms in allergic asthma. Implementing the results from this study, advisories for individuals with allergic asthma could be improved, minimizing the morbidities associated with the condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To date no study has evaluated the efficacy of preseasonal omalizumab therapy with cost effective dose and at appropriate time point compared with standard medication in seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) patients. Methods: This was a prospective randomized controlled open‐label single‐centre trial. 32 SAR patients were randomized to receive a single injection of omalizumab 300‐mg approximately two weeks before start of the pollen period (PP) or medication therapy. All patients completed daily questionnaires; recording symptoms, medication use and quality of life (QoL) throughout the observation period. The primary efficacy parameter was the mean daily Combined Symptom and Medication Score (CSMS). Results: Preseasonal omalizumab significantly reduced the changes of mean daily CSMS of nose during the PP (p < 0.001), peak pollen period (PPP) and PP after PPP (PPP‐PP) (p = 0.002) and Post‐PP (p = 0.009) compared to standard medication. The proportion of allergy symptoms‐relieving medication‐free days during PPP‐PP was also significantly higher in preseasonal omalizumab‐treated group (76.2(16.7‐98.8))% than in medication‐treated group (19.0(0‐71.4))% (p = 0.030). Omalizumab could achieve the same nasal symptom control during the entire pollen season and better eye symptoms relieving results in PP (p = 0.046) and PPP‐PP (p = 0.004) than medication treatment. Significantly greater improvement in QoL was also obtained with omalizumab‐pretreatment during the PP (p = 0.037) and PPP‐PP (p = 0.004). Conclusions: Administration of a single injection of 300 mg omalizumab two weeks before start of the pollen season achieves better overall control of symptoms and QoL, with significantly reduced allergy symptoms‐relieving medication usage, compared with standard pharmacotherapy in SAR patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a long-term (1988–2018) data series from pollen monitoring in two locations in Iceland: Akureyri and Reykjavík. Our data showed a low diversity of airborne pollen present in the aeroplankton of Iceland. We showed that Betula spp. and Poaceae can be considered the main pollen allergens in Iceland. Both Betula spp. and Poaceae pollen seasons in Iceland are characterised by a late onset compared to continental Europe. Betula spp. seasons are further characterised by a longer duration and low SPI and peak values. Icelandic Poaceae seasons are shorter, but have SPI and peak values comparable to those recorded in continental Europe. We recorded no synchronisation in the intensity of pollen production between our monitoring sites in Iceland, and our data do not confirm the existence of repeatable cycle (bi- or triennial) of high and low pollen production in Betula spp. Statistically significant trends towards increasing SPI values were recorded in Reykjavík (Betula spp.) and Akureyri (Poaceae). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, allergies due to airborne pollen allergens have shown an increasing trend, along with the severity of allergic symptoms in most industrialized countries, while synergism with other common atmospheric pollutants has also been identified as affecting the overall quality of citizenly life. In this study, we propose the state-of-the-art WRF-Chem model, which is a complex Eulerian meteorological model integrated on-line with atmospheric chemistry. We used a combination of the WRF-Chem extended towards birch pollen, and the emission module based on heating degree days, which has not been tested before. The simulations were run for the moderate season in terms of birch pollen concentrations (year 2015) and high season (year 2016) over Central Europe, which were validated against 11 observational stations located in Poland. The results show that there is a big difference in the model's performance for the two modelled years. In general, the model overestimates birch pollen concentrations for the moderate season and highly underestimates birch pollen concentrations for the year 2016. The model was able to predict birch pollen concentrations for first allergy symptoms (above 20 pollen m−3) as well as for severe symptoms (above 90 pollen m−3) with probability of detection at 0.78 and 0.68 and success ratio at 0.75 and 0.57, respectively for the year 2015. However, the model failed to reproduce these parameters for the year 2016. The results indicate the potential role of correcting the total seasonal pollen emission in improving the model's performance, especially for specific years in terms of pollen productivity. The application of chemical transport models such as WRF-Chem for pollen modelling provides a great opportunity for simultaneous simulations of chemical air pollution and allergic pollen with one goal, which is a step forward for studying and understanding the co-exposure of these particles in the air. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with atopic eczema are known to experience seasonal variations in disease severity, with winter being the season in which severity generally increases. There is a lack of knowledge about the subgroup of children that experiences increased severity in spring and summer months. We aimed to investigate which phenotype characteristics best describe children flaring in the pollen season. A retrospective database analysis was conducted, including 110 children with difficult‐to‐treat atopic eczema aged 0–17 years. Relevant outcome parameters were extracted from medical records. In our population, 36% (n = 40/110) of children reported flares of atopic eczema in the pollen season. These children were more often sensitized to one or more types of pollen (73% [n = 29/40] vs. 28% [n = 10/36], p < 0.0001) and had more patient‐reported hay fever (70% [n = 28/40] vs. 19% [n = 7/36], p < 0.0001), compared with children who do not flare in the pollen season. Moreover, children flaring in the pollen season more often had a dark skin type (78% [n = 31/40] vs. 44% [n = 16/36], p = 0.003). Based on stepwise multivariable analyses, children flaring in the pollen season were characterized by the combination of younger age, hay fever, and dark skin type (C‐statistic: 0.86). In conclusion, patient‐reported flares in spring and summer are experienced by one‐third of children with difficult‐to‐treat atopic eczema. This phenotype can be characterized as young children having hay fever and a dark skin type and can be identified based on clinical parameters alone without the need to perform immunoglobulin E blood testing or skin prick tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Allergic rhinitis often gives rise to impaired quality of life and is believed to also affect cognitive function. We aimed to examine whether cognitive functions were impaired during grass pollen season in symptomatic allergic children and to relate the degree of impairment to quality of life and biomarkers related to stress and inflammation. Methods: Forty‐three grass pollen‐allergic children (age 8‐17 years) with non‐satisfactory effect of medication (antihistamines and nasal steroids daily) during previous seasons were included. In addition, 26 matched non‐allergic children were included as controls. Both groups performed cognitive tests (CANTAB) and completed Quality of Life questionnaires outside and during the pollen season. Blood samples were collected and analyzed for stress and inflammatory biomarkers. Pollen level was measured daily. Results: Impaired cognitive function was found in spatial working memory, where the allergic group made more errors compared to the non‐allergic group during pollen season, but not off‐season. No significant differences could be seen between the allergic group and the controls in the other tests investigating visual memory or attention. Quality of health questionnaires revealed more symptoms and impaired quality of life in allergic compared to non‐allergic children, and increased symptoms in allergic children were associated with longer reaction time for simple movement during pollen season. No differences in stress or inflammatory biomarkers could be found between the groups. Conclusion: Cognitive function was affected during pollen season in pollen‐allergic children, and the more symptoms the allergic children had, the longer the reaction time in the cognitive tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a widespread allergic airway disease that results from a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors and affects approximately 10%-40% of the global population. Pollen is a common allergen, and exposure to pollen can cause epigenetic changes. However, the mechanism underlying pollen-induced DNA methylation changes and their potential effects on the allergic march are still unclear. The purpose of this study was to explore the methylation-driven mechanisms of AR during the pollen and non-pollen seasons using bioinformatics analysis and to investigate their relationship with asthma., Methods: We downloaded DNA methylation and gene expression data from the GEO database (GSE50387: GSE50222, GSE50101) and identified differentially methylated positions (DMPs) and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) during the pollen and non-pollen seasons using the CHAMP and limma packages. Through correlation analysis, we identified methylation-driven genes and performed pathway enrichment analysis to annotate their functions. We incorporated external data on AR combined with asthma (GSE101720) for analysis to identify key CpGs that promote the transformation of AR to asthma. We also utilized external data on olive pollen allergy (GSE54522) for analysis to validate the methylation-driven genes. Weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) was employed to identify gene modules significantly correlated with pollen allergy. We extracted genes related to the key methylation-driven gene ZNF667-AS1 from the significant module and performed pathway intelligent clustering using KOBAS-i. We also utilized gene set enrichment analysis to explore the potential function of ZNF667-AS1 ., Results: We identified 20 and 24 CpG-Gene pairings during the pollen and non-pollen seasons. After incorporating external data from GSE101720, we found that ZNF667-AS1 is a key gene that may facilitate the transformation of AR into asthma during the pollen season. This finding was further validated in another external dataset, GSE54522, which is associated with pollen allergy. WGCNA identified 17 modules, among which the blue module showed significant correlation with allergies. ZNF667-AS1 was located in the blue module. We performed pathway analysis on the genes correlated with ZNF667-AS1 extracted from the blue module and identified a prominent cluster of pathways in the KOBAS-i results, including Toll-like receptor ( TLR ) family, MyD88 , MAPK , and oxidative stress. Gene set enrichment analysis around cg05508084 (paired with ZNF667-AS1 ) also indicated its potential involvement in initiating and modulating allergic inflammation from the perspective of TLR and MAPK signaling., Conclusion: We identified methylation-driven genes and their related pathways during the pollen and non-pollen seasons in patients with AR and identified key CpGs that promote the transformation of AR into asthma due to pollen exposure. This study provides new insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms of the transformation of AR to asthma., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Sun, Wang, Liu, Li, Cui, Li, Wang and Wang.)

Abstract Background Allergic rhinitis affects around one quarter of the Western European population. Prophylactic allergen immunotherapy may be useful to reduce the risk of acute symptomatic attacks (hayfever). A five-grass pollen extract sublingual immunotherapy (5GPE-SLIT) has been developed for the treatment of allergic rhinitis to grass pollen. The objective of this study was to describe real-world treatment patterns with 5GPE-SLIT in France with respect to the prescribing information. Methods This prospective cohort study was conducted by 90 community and hospital allergists. Adults and children (> 5 years old) starting a first treatment with 5GPE-SLIT prior to the 2015 pollen season were eligible. Data was collected at the inclusion visit and at the end of the pollen season. The primary outcome variable was compatibility of 5GPE-SLIT prescription with the prescribing information. This was determined with respect to four variables: (1) interval between 5GPE-SLIT initiation and onset of the pollen season ≥ 3 months, (2) age of patient ≥ 5 years, (3) intermittent symptoms or mild symptom severity (4) confirmatory diagnostic test. At study end, symptoms reported during the pollen season and any modifications to treatment or adverse events were documented. Results 280 adults and 203 children were enrolled. The prescribing information was respected for 82.5% of adults and 86.7% of children. A skin test was performed for all patients. 5GPE-SLIT was started 3–5 months before the pollen season for 85.3%. Treatment was discontinued before the start of the pollen season in 11.0% of patients overall, generally because of an adverse event (78.8% of discontinuations). The mean duration of treatment was 5.2 months in adults and 5.6 months in children. At the end of follow-up, symptoms during the pollen season were intermittent for 75.0% of adults and 85.7% of children, and severity was mild for 61.8 and 66.0% respectively. During 5GPE-SLIT, the following symptoms reported during the previous year were not reported again in > 50% of patients: nasal congestion, rhinorrhoea, repeated sneezing, conjunctivitis and nasal pruritus. Conclusions 5GPE-SLIT use was generally consistent with prescribing recommendations and was associated with an improvement of AR severity, with resolution of the principal AR symptoms in around half the patients treated. Trial registration EUPAS9358. Registered 13 May 2015. Not prospectively registered. http://www.encepp.eu/encepp/viewResource.htm?id=16229

The present work has studied the trends in pollen seasons of winter flowering trees (Alnus, Cupressaceae, Fraxinus, Populus and Ulmus) in Córdoba, Granada and Málaga (Andalusia, Spain) over the years 1994–2017. The influence of meteorological parameters on the seasonal airborne pollen has been also analyzed. Pollen concentrations were recorded using Hirst-type volumetric spore traps, following the standardized methodology of the Spanish Aerobiology Network and the European Aerobiology Society. The nonparametric Mann–Kendall test and the nonparametric Sen's method have been used to study linear trends for pollen season timing and intensity, and for temperature and rainfall. Significance was determined using the F-test. Spearman analyses were applied to test for correlations between pollen season parameters and weather-related factors before and over the pollen season. The results obtained suggest that flowering has delayed over recent years, especially for trees with a bloom closer to spring (poplar and elm). Earlier flowering species are more influenced by the meteorological parameters before the flowering. However, species blooming later are more influenced by the meteorological parameters during the pollen season. Meteorological parameters affect more the interior cities than the coastal city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The effectiveness of allergen immunotherapy (AIT) in seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis (AR) depends on the definition of pollen exposure intensity or time period. We recently evaluated pollen and symptom data from Germany to examine the new definitions of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) on pollen season and peak pollen period start and end. Now, we aim to confirm the feasibility of these definitions to properly mirror symptom loads for grass and birch pollen‐induced allergic rhinitis in other European geographical areas such as Austria, Finland and France, and therefore their suitability for AIT and clinical practice support. Methods: Data from twenty‐three pollen monitoring stations from three countries in Europe and for 3 years (2014‐2016) were used to investigate the correlation between birch and grass pollen concentrations during the birch and grass pollen season defined via the EAACI criteria, and total nasal symptom and medication scores as reported with the aid of the patient's hay‐fever diary (PHD). In addition, we conducted a statistical analysis, together with a graphical investigation, to reveal correlations and dependencies between the studied parameters. Results: The analysis demonstrated that the definitions of pollen season as well as peak pollen period start and end as proposed by the EAACI are correlated to pollen‐induced symptom loads reported by PHD users during birch and grass pollen season. A statistically significant correlation (slightly higher for birch) has been found between the Total Nasal Symptom and Medication Score (TNSMS) and the pollen concentration levels. Moreover, the maximum symptom levels occurred mostly within the peak pollen periods (PPP) following the EAACI criteria. Conclusions: Based on our analyses, we confirm the validity of the EAACI definitions on pollen season for both birch and grass and for a variety of geographical locations for the four European countries (including Germany from a previous publication) analyzed so far. On this basis, the use of the EAACI definitions is supported in future clinical trials on AIT as well as in daily routine for optimal patient care. Further evaluation of the EAACI criteria in other European regions is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is related to an overall analysis of the most relevant pollen season modifications as they emerge from the aerobiological monitoring activity in the network of stations in Emilia-Romagna, a region located in Northern Italy. The taxa selected for the study are among the most important from an allergenic point of view. The selected period goes from 1991 to 2017 in order to have a similar length for all the different taxa in all the stations, regardless of their date of activation. Statistical analysis of the time series of some pollen season indicators has been carried out in the period, with the aim of pointing out the most relevant changes in the ensemble of the monitoring stations. The available database lasting more than 25 years can be the basis for a robust statistical analysis of the long-term trends in the time series of pollen seasonal indicators. The stations are operating throughout the whole Emilia-Romagna territory, spanning a range of climatic conditions from the inner Po Valley to the coastal area. Results of the trend analysis indicate that the starting and the peak dates of the pollen season are in prevalent advance. This is true both for most herbaceous taxa, as well as for several arboreal ones. As for pollen production, a different behaviour characterizes herbaceous and arboreal taxa; in fact, a generally decreasing trend interests all herbaceous taxa, while a prevalent increasing trend is present in several of the latter. Pollen season indicators are certainly more directly affected by the changes associated with the meteo-climatic forcing and are possibly more influenced by climatic change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C'est devenu une évidence que le climat change et que cela peut affecter la santé humaine. En particulier, on s'attend à ce que le réchauffement climatique se répercute sur la pollinisation et augmente l'occurrence des allergies respiratoires. Cette étude a été réalisée sur 6 ou 7 sites français de surveillance aérobiologique, avec l'objectif de détecter d'éventuelles modifications survenues durant les 24 à 32 dernières années dans la chronologie, la durée et l'intensité des saisons polliniques de deux taxons très allergisants, le bouleau et les graminées. Les résultats les plus probants ont été obtenus pour Betula. D'une part, le début de la saison pollinique de cet arbre a connu jusqu'aux alentours de 2002 une avance de 0,02 à 0,69 jour/an, après quoi la tendance s'est inversée, au point que la pollinisation démarre maintenant aussi tard, voire plus tard qu'il y a trente ans ; l'explication la plus plausible est que des hivers plus doux retardent la levée de dormance et annulent l'avance de la phénologie printanière provoquée par des printemps plus chauds. D'autre part, tous les sites étudiés ont présenté une forte hausse de la quantité de pollen émise, positivement corrélée à la température de la période allant de juillet (année N −1) à juin de l'année N. Pour les Poaceæ , les résultats sont souvent contradictoires d'un endroit à l'autre. Ils ont néanmoins révélé une tendance presque partout décroissante pour les concentrations polliniques. En conclusion, l'accent est mis sur les divergences qui existent entre les effets déjà observés en France sur les saisons polliniques et le discours dominant sur la réponse de la pollinisation au changement climatique. There is now evidence that the climate is changing. This trend has the potential to affect human health. In particular, global warming is expected to alter pollination and increase the incidence of allergic airway diseases. The present study was conducted at 6 or 7 sampling sites in metropolitan France with the aim of detecting possible shifts over the last 24 to 32 years in the timing, duration, and intensity of the pollen seasons of two very allergenic taxa, birch and grasses. The most convincing results were obtained for Betula. On the one hand, the beginning of the birch pollen season advanced by 0.02 to 0.69 days/year until about 2002, after which this trend reversed, in such a way that the pollination period now starts as late as it did thirty years ago, if not later; the most likely explanation is that milder winters delay dormancy release and nullify the advance of spring phenology induced by warmer spring weather. On the other hand, all the sites studied showed major increases in the quantity of pollen released, which is positively correlated with the temperature of the twelve months from July (year N −1) to June (year N). Although the results for Poaceæ are often inconsistent from one monitoring station to another, they nevertheless revealed almost universal downward trends in airborne pollen concentrations, as confirmed by negative correlation coefficients with the annual temperature. In conclusion, the most salient finding concerns the wide discrepancy between the effects on the pollen seasons already observed in France and the mainstream narrative concerning pollen response to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All lindens provide Apidae insects with nectar, pollen, and honeydew. Lindens are important melliferous trees in Poland. The first purpose of the study was to carry out phenological observations of the flowering in ten linden taxa. The second aim was to analyse the content of linden pollen grains in the air of Lublin. A correlation between the parameters of the pollen season and meteorological factors was also determined. This study was conducted in the city of Lublin located in the central-eastern part of Poland. The flowering phenophases were analysed, using the method developed by Łukasiewicz, during the growing seasons of 2012-2015. Aerobiological monitoring, which was based on the volumetric method, was carried out over the 2001-2014 time period. As shown in the study, the flowering period of all the analysed linden taxa lasted 7 weeks, on average, from June 7 to July 24. The average length of the flowering period of the investigated taxa and hybrids was in the range of 12-17 days. Their flowering periods overlapped. The atmospheric pollen season lasted, on average, from mid-June to the second 10-day period of July. The highest concentration of airborne pollen was noted at the end of June. The pollen season pattern was significantly affected by temperature and relative air humidity as well as by rainfall in May and June. The investigations indicate a 9-day acceleration of the pollen season, which may be associated with global warming.

Google Trends (GT) describes the variation of the relevant interest of internet searches toward medical conditions and related symptoms. Allergic rhinitis symptom levels result from the intensity of exposure to aeroallergens in combination with relevant medication use. We analyze data from Germany to examine the relationship between hay fever-related Google search terms, symptom levels, medication use, and pollen count levels. For doing so, we also employ the new definitions on pollen season and peak pollen period start and end as proposed by the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology in a recently published position paper. We extract GT data for a number of search terms related to allergic rhinitis for Germany. We use total nasal symptom and mediation scores as reported by patients via a patient hay fever diary in the Berlin and Brandenburg areas in Germany for 3 years (2014-2016), accompanied by pollen data. Then a Pearson and Spearman correlation analysis is performed between symptom data and GT data. A graphical analysis is conducted, and the identification of pollen season and peak pollen periods is done based on the EAACI criteria. The analysis reveals that GT data are highly correlated with symptom levels and follow peak pollen period start-end, concerning grass and birch pollen-induced allergic rhinitis symptoms. GT data can be used as a proxy for the identification of the onset and variation of nasal symptom and medication score for allergic rhinitis sufferers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time in Belgium, fluctuations in airborne pollen quantities over a 34 years period have been analyzed. Seven pollen types have been selected comprising the most clinically relevant in Belgium nowadays (birch, alder, hazel and grasses) and others that are known to be allergenic in other European countries and frequently found in Belgium (plane, ash and mugwort). Pollen monitoring was performed with a seven-day recording volumetric spore trap placed in Brussels. We measured increasing airborne pollen for four trees, namely alder, hazel, ash and plane. Although the total pollen index for birch has not increased significantly, an increasing trend in the annual amount of days above the concentration threshold of 80 pollen grains/m3 was clearly observed. Concerning temporal variations, the pollen season has tended to end earlier for birch, ash and plane and the peak concentration of the pollen of plane has been appearing earlier in the year. In the investigated period, the pollen seasons of grasses and mugwort have tended to become less severe. Furthermore, we reported a temporal shift of the grass pollen season, beginning and ending earlier, together with an advance of the annual peak date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last few decades, global warming is prompting phenological changes in numerous plant species across Europe, and a trend towards rising airborne pollen concentrations has been detected. This study, focused on the most frequent pollen types from arboreal and herbaceous species in the airborne spectrum of Jaen (southern Spain), revealed significant changes in airborne pollen intensity and duration of the pollen season over the 23-year study period. Here Cupressaceae, Olea , Pinus , Platanus , Quercus as arboreal taxa and Plantago as herbaceous taxa were the most important with notable changes of at least three pollen season characteristics. Airborne pollen trends from arboreal taxa with high to very high allergenic potential are rising in line with the local temperature increasing trend, and their pollen seasons tend to end later and last longer. However, both the pollen concentrations and the duration of the pollen season of some herbaceous taxa are declining. The climate conditions projected for south Europe under different greenhouse emissions scenarios could continue to prompt greater pollen release and longer pollen season in tree species, especially those that flowering in winter and early spring, but these warming trends might be adverse for the local development of some herbaceous species and favorable for others sharing the same ecological niche. If similar warming trends accompany long-term climate change, greater exposure times to seasonal allergens may occur with subsequent effects on health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a temperature sum model to predict the daily pollen release of alder, based on pollen data collected with pollen traps at seven locations in Finland over the years 2000–2014. We estimated the model parameters by minimizing the sum of squared errors (SSE) of the model, with weights that put more weight on binary recognition of daily presence or absence of pollen. The model results suggest that alder pollen ripens after a couple of warm days in February, while the whole pollen release period typically takes up to 4 weeks. We tested the model residuals against air humidity, precipitation and wind speed, but adding these meteorological features did not improve the model prediction capacity. Our model was able to predict the onset of pollen season with similar accuracy as models describing only the start of the pollen release period (average prediction error 8.3, median 5.0 days), while for the end of the pollen release period the accuracy of our predictions was not as good. We split the pollen data into odd and even years, and fitted our model separately to each half. Difference in the parameter values suggests a biennial behavior in the onset of pollen ripening, with almost two weeks of difference in the modeled starting date of the pollen development. Monte Carlo resampling of the observation data confirmed that the difference is not just a random anomaly in the data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Serum vitamin D levels have not been studied in children with seasonal allergic rhinitis ( SAR). The aim of this study was to evaluate the vitamin D levels of children with SAR and to compare them to levels in healthy children during pollen season. Methods This study was conducted in 100 children with SAR and 100 healthy controls. Clinical and laboratory evaluations and vitamin D analyses of all the participants were performed between the months of April and July. Pollen sensitization was detected in the patient group using a skin prick test. 25( OH)D3 levels were compared between the patient and control groups. Associations among the patient 25( OH)D3 levels and their demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics were analyzed. Results Overall, 72% of the patients were male, the median age was 12.35 years (range: 6-17.8 years), and the median body mass index value was 19.15 (range: 13.6-27.8). There were no differences between the patients and healthy controls in terms of gender, age, or body mass index. The mean levels of 25( OH)D3 (20.78±6) in patients were higher than those of the controls (17.92±4). In the patient group, no associations were found among 25( OH)D3 levels, demographic characteristics, atopy test results, atopy history, severity of rhinitis, and the total four symptoms score (all P>.05). Conclusions During pollen season, children with SAR may have higher vitamin D levels than healthy controls. The presence of asthma and/or atopic dermatitis in addition to SAR did not change this result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revue Francaise d'Allergologie is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study has been focused on airborne pollen concentration in Northern Tunis. Pollen has been detected by a volumetric Hirst-type spore trap. This suction sampler was placed for two hydrologic years in the area of Mornag, northeastof Tunisia (36°40N; 10°17E). Fifty-two taxa were identified with heterogeneous daily pollen concentrations and a dominance of anemophilous plants. The main pollen types detected in the atmosphere were Olea europaea (38.7 and 20.75%), Cupressus (33.57 and 55.4%) , Urticaceae (9.22 and 12.24%) , Poaceae (3.55 and 3.32%), Mercurialis annua (2.96 and 1.6%) and Amaranthaceae (2.49 and 1.55%). The monthly pollen spectrum indicated a seasonal periodicity of airborne pollen with the main pollen season during spring. Two pollen seasons have been observed during these hydrologic years, due to both Cupressus and Amaranthaceae airborne pollen is represented during winter or spring, and also during autumn and late summer, respectively. Other pollen types represent a long pollen season, i.e., Urticaceae, starting in autumn and following until late spring. Daily pollen concentration showed a different behavior during the flowering season between both years, observing differences related to pollen index. Correlation between daily pollen concentrations of the dominant taxa showed a positive and significant correlation between airborne pollen concentrations of spring-pollinated taxa and mean temperature, but negative with maximum temperature, humidity and rainfall. In the case of minimum temperature, a different response, positive for trees and negative for herbaceous plants, has been observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the variations in temporal allergenic airborne pollen (AAP) distribution and the mechanisms of pollen release and dispersal during pollen season is fundamental for predicting respiratory allergies, as well as assessing the effects of meteorological conditions on vegetation. In this paper, we described the seasonal variations of in situ AAP for dominant taxa in samples obtained from 11 May 2019 to 31 March 2022, with uninterrupted quasi-monthly sampling time intervals (22–48 days). We also discussed how meteorological factors drive pollen variations in an arid region of Northwest China through correlation analysis and the HYSPLIT model. Results showed: (1) The three most prevalent AAP taxa were Artemisia (65.1% by average), Amaranthaceae (13.5% by average), and Poaceae (6.5% by average), with a high cumulative pollen concentration (CPC) value during July–September period. (2) The duration and total CPC in pollen season were shorter and lower in 2020 than that in 2019 and 2021, which were attributed to the lower precipitation and higher temperature from July to September 2020. In contrast, the wind was the dominant factor influencing each sample's CPC in the non-pollen season. (3) Both the predominant potential source area (PSA) and short transport pathways suggested AAP mainly comes from the local and regional areas. (4) There would be a serious risk of allergy to the three AAP types, especially Artemisia. Our results reveal that precipitation and temperature during July–September have an immediate effect on the characteristics of the AAP pollen season in arid regions. • Artemisia , Amaranthaceae, and Poaceae were the three most prevalent AAP types in the XiangRiDe area. • Precipitation and temperature were the dominant factors affecting the variations of the pollen season proxies. • Pollen potential source areas mainly came from local areas, as well as regional sources. • The potential threat of allergy to the three AAP in XiangRiDe would be more severe than in other northern regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]