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Katz DSW, Zigler CM, Bhavnani D, Balcer-Whaley S, Matsui EC. Pollen and viruses contribute to spatio-temporal variation in asthma-related emergency department visits. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 257:119346. [PMID: 38838752 PMCID: PMC11268730 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Revised: 05/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Asthma exacerbations are an important cause of emergency department visits but much remains unknown about the role of environmental triggers including viruses and allergenic pollen. A better understanding of spatio-temporal variation in exposure and risk posed by viruses and pollen types could help prioritize public health interventions. OBJECTIVE Here we quantify the effects of regionally important Cupressaceae pollen, tree pollen, other pollen types, rhinovirus, seasonal coronavirus, respiratory syncytial virus, and influenza on asthma-related emergency department visits for people living near eight pollen monitoring stations in Texas. METHODS We used age stratified Poisson regression analyses to quantify the effects of allergenic pollen and viruses on asthma-related emergency department visits. RESULTS Young children (<5 years of age) had high asthma-related emergency department rates (24.1 visits/1,000,000 person-days), which were mainly attributed to viruses (51.2%). School-aged children also had high rates (20.7 visits/1,000,000 person-days), which were attributed to viruses (57.0%), Cupressaceae pollen (0.7%), and tree pollen (2.8%). Adults had lower rates (8.1 visits/1,000,000 person-days) which were attributed to viruses (25.4%), Cupressaceae pollen (0.8%), and tree pollen (2.3%). This risk was spread unevenly across space and time; for example, during peak Cuppressaceae season, this pollen accounted for 8.2% of adult emergency department visits near Austin where these plants are abundant, but 0.4% in cities like Houston where they are not; results for other age groups were similar. CONCLUSIONS Although viruses are a major contributor to asthma-related emergency department visits, airborne pollen can explain a meaningful portion of visits during peak pollen season and this risk varies over both time and space because of differences in plant composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S W Katz
- The Department of Population Health and Data Sciences, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, United States; The School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, United States.
| | - Corwin M Zigler
- The Department of Statistics and Data Sciences, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, United States
| | - Darlene Bhavnani
- The Department of Population Health and Data Sciences, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, United States
| | - Susan Balcer-Whaley
- The Department of Population Health and Data Sciences, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, United States
| | - Elizabeth C Matsui
- The Department of Population Health and Data Sciences, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, United States
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Preda M, Smolinska S, Popescu FD. Diagnostic Workup in IgE-Mediated Allergy to Asteraceae Weed Pollen and Herbal Medicine Products in Europe. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2024; 60:1494. [PMID: 39336535 PMCID: PMC11433692 DOI: 10.3390/medicina60091494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2024] [Revised: 09/10/2024] [Accepted: 09/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024]
Abstract
Anemophilous weeds from the Asteraceae family are highly allergenic and represent a significant source of aeroallergens in late summer and autumn. Ragweed and mugwort pollen allergies have become a significant health burden in Europe. Some people with respiratory allergies to weed pollen may also suffer hypersensitivity reactions to herbal medicines obtained from certain cross-reactive plants in the Compositae family, such as chamomile, marigold, and purple coneflower. General physicians, ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialists, and pulmonologists need to be familiar with the diagnostic tests used by allergists in clinical practice to support accurate diagnosis in such patients. Allergists must also be aware of the suggestions of the European Medicines Agency (EMA)'s Herbal Medicinal Products Committee and the broad spectrum of herbal therapies to educate their patients about potential risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Preda
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Allergology "Nicolae Malaxa" Clinical Hospital, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 022441 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Sylwia Smolinska
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Immunology, Wroclaw Medical University, 51-616 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Florin-Dan Popescu
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Allergology "Nicolae Malaxa" Clinical Hospital, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 022441 Bucharest, Romania
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Yang DZ, Tang J, Cheng YL, Yang YS, Wei JF, Sun JL, Xu ZQ. Identification and Characterization of Pectate Lyase as a Novel Allergen in Artemisia sieversiana Pollen. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2024:1-14. [PMID: 38897183 DOI: 10.1159/000539375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Artemisia species are widely spread in north hemisphere. Artemisia sieversiana pollen is one of the common pollen allergens in the north of China. At present, seven allergens were identified and had been listed officially from A. sieversiana pollen, but the remaining allergens are still insufficiently studied, which need to be found. METHODS Pectate lyase was purified from the extracts of A. sieversiana pollen by anion exchange, size exclusion, and HPLC-hydrophobic interaction chromatography. The gene of A. sieversiana pectate lyase (Art si pectate lyase) was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The enzyme activity and circular dichroism (CD) spectrum of natural and recombinant proteins were analyzed. The allergenicity of Art si pectate lyase was characterized by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Western blot, inhibition ELISA, and basophil activation test. The allergen's physicochemical properties, three-dimensional structure, sequence profiles with homologous allergens and phylogenetic tree were analyzed by in silico methods. RESULTS Natural Art si pectate lyase (nArt si pectate lyase) was purified from A. sieversiana pollen extracts by three chromatographic strategies. The cDNA sequence of Art si pectate lyase had a 1191-bp open reading frame encoding 396 amino acids. Both natural and recombinant pectate lyase (rArt si pectate lyase) exhibited similar CD spectrum, and nArt si pectate lyase had higher enzymatic activity. Moreover, the specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) binding rate against nArt si pectate lyase and rArt si pectate lyase was determined as 40% (6/15) in patients' serum with Artemisia species pollen allergy by ELISA. The nArt si pectate lyase and rArt si pectate lyase could inhibit 76.11% and 47.26% of IgE binding activities to the pollen extracts, respectively. Art si pectate lyase was also confirmed to activate patients' basophils. Its structure contains a predominant motif of classic parallel helical core, consisting of three parallel β-sheets, and two highly conserved features (vWiDH, RxPxxR) which may contribute to pectate lyase activity. Moreover, Art si pectate lyase shared the highest sequence identity of 73.0% with Art v 6 among currently recognized pectate lyase allergen, both were clustered into the same branch in the phylogenetic tree. CONCLUSION In this study, pectate lyase was identified and comprehensively characterized as a novel allergen in A. sieversiana pollen. The findings enriched the allergen information for this pollen and promoted the development of component-resolved diagnosis and molecular therapy of A. sieversiana pollen allergy.
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Affiliation(s)
- De-Zheng Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, China
| | - Jian Tang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, China
| | - Ya-Li Cheng
- Department of Allergy, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yong-Shi Yang
- Department of Allergy, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Ji-Fu Wei
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, China
- Research Division of Clinical Pharmacology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- National Vaccine Innovation Platform, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jin-Lyu Sun
- Department of Allergy, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Zhi-Qiang Xu
- Research Division of Clinical Pharmacology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- National Vaccine Innovation Platform, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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Shrestha A, Limay-Rios V, Brettingham DJL, Raizada MN. Maize pollen carry bacteria that suppress a fungal pathogen that enters through the male gamete fertilization route. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 14:1286199. [PMID: 38269134 PMCID: PMC10806238 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1286199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
In flowering plants, after being released from pollen grains, the male gametes use the style channel to migrate towards the ovary where they fertilize awaiting eggs. Environmental pathogens exploit the style passage, resulting in diseased progeny seed. The belief is that pollen also transmits pathogens into the style. By contrast, we hypothesized that pollen carries beneficial microbes that suppress environmental pathogens on the style passage. No prior studies have reported pollen-associated bacterial functions in any plant species. Here, bacteria were cultured from maize (corn) pollen encompassing wild ancestors and farmer-selected landraces from across the Americas, grown in a common field in Canada for one season. In total, 298 bacterial isolates were cultured, spanning 45 genera, 103 species, and 88 OTUs, dominated by Pantoea, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Erwinia, and Microbacterium. Full-length 16S DNA-based taxonomic profiling showed that 78% of bacterial taxa from the major wild ancestor of maize (Parviglumis teosinte) were present in at least one cultivated landrace. The species names of the bacterial isolates were used to search the pathogen literature systematically; this preliminary evidence predicted that the vast majority of the pollen-associated bacteria analyzed are not maize pathogens. The pollen-associated bacteria were tested in vitro against a style-invading Fusarium pathogen shown to cause Gibberella ear rot (GER): 14 isolates inhibited this pathogen. Genome mining showed that all the anti-Fusarium bacterial species encode phzF, associated with biosynthesis of the natural fungicide, phenazine. To mimic the male gamete migration route, three pollen-associated bacterial strains were sprayed onto styles (silks), followed by Fusarium inoculation; these bacteria reduced GER symptoms and mycotoxin accumulation in progeny seed. Confocal microscopy was used to search for direct evidence that pollen-associated bacteria can defend living silks against Fusarium graminearum (Fg); bacterial strain AS541 (Kluyvera intermedia), isolated from pollen of ancestral Parviglumis, was observed to colonize the susceptible style/silk entry points of Fg (silk epidermis, trichomes, wounds). Furthermore, on style/silk tissue, AS541 colonized/aggregated on Fg hyphae, and was associated with Fg hyphal breaks. These results suggest that pollen has the potential to carry bacteria that can defend the style/silk passage against an environmental pathogen - a novel observation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuja Shrestha
- Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Victor Limay-Rios
- Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Ridgetown, ON, Canada
| | | | - Manish N. Raizada
- Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
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Picornell A, Hurtado S, Antequera-Gómez ML, Barba-González C, Ruiz-Mata R, de Gálvez-Montañez E, Recio M, Trigo MDM, Aldana-Montes JF, Navas-Delgado I. A deep learning LSTM-based approach for forecasting annual pollen curves: Olea and Urticaceae pollen types as a case study. Comput Biol Med 2024; 168:107706. [PMID: 37989073 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.107706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Airborne pollen can trigger allergic rhinitis and other respiratory diseases in the synthesised population, which makes it one of the most relevant biological contaminants. Therefore, implementing accurate forecast systems is a priority for public health. The current forecast models are generally useful, but they falter when long time series of data are managed. The emergence of new computational techniques such as the LSTM algorithms could constitute a significant improvement for the pollen risk assessment. In this study, several LSTM variants were applied to forecast monthly pollen integrals in Málaga (southern Spain) using meteorological variables as predictors. Olea and Urticaceae pollen types were modelled as proxies of different annual pollen curves, using data from the period 1992-2022. The aims of this study were to determine the LSTM variants with the highest accuracy when forecasting monthly pollen integrals as well as to compare their performance with the traditional pollen forecast methods. The results showed that the CNN-LSTM were the most accurate when forecasting the monthly pollen integrals for both pollen types. Moreover, the traditional forecast methods were outperformed by all the LSTM variants. These findings highlight the importance of implementing LSTM models in pollen forecasting for public health and research applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Picornell
- Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, University of Malaga, Malaga 29071, Spain.
| | - Sandro Hurtado
- Dept. de Lenguajes y Ciencias de la Computación, ITIS Software, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga 29071, Spain.
| | | | - Cristóbal Barba-González
- Dept. de Lenguajes y Ciencias de la Computación, ITIS Software, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga 29071, Spain.
| | - Rocío Ruiz-Mata
- Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, University of Malaga, Malaga 29071, Spain.
| | | | - Marta Recio
- Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, University of Malaga, Malaga 29071, Spain.
| | - María Del Mar Trigo
- Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, University of Malaga, Malaga 29071, Spain.
| | - José F Aldana-Montes
- Dept. de Lenguajes y Ciencias de la Computación, ITIS Software, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga 29071, Spain.
| | - Ismael Navas-Delgado
- Dept. de Lenguajes y Ciencias de la Computación, ITIS Software, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga 29071, Spain.
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Khalaf EM, Shrestha A, Reid M, McFadyen BJ, Raizada MN. Conservation and diversity of the pollen microbiome of Pan-American maize using PacBio and MiSeq. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1276241. [PMID: 38179444 PMCID: PMC10764481 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1276241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Pollen is a vector for diversification, fitness-selection, and transmission of plant genetic material. The extent to which the pollen microbiome may contribute to host diversification is largely unknown, because pollen microbiome diversity within a plant species has not been reported, and studies have been limited to conventional short-read 16S rRNA gene sequencing (e.g., V4-MiSeq) which suffers from poor taxonomic resolution. Here we report the pollen microbiomes of 16 primitive and traditional accessions of maize (corn) selected by indigenous peoples across the Americas, along with the modern U.S. inbred B73. The maize pollen microbiome has not previously been reported. The pollen microbiomes were identified using full-length (FL) 16S rRNA gene PacBio SMRT sequencing compared to V4-MiSeq. The Pan-American maize pollen microbiome encompasses 765 taxa spanning 39 genera and 46 species, including known plant growth promoters, insect-obligates, plant pathogens, nitrogen-fixers and biocontrol agents. Eleven genera and 13 species composed the core microbiome. Of 765 taxa, 63% belonged to only four genera: 28% were Pantoea, 15% were Lactococcus, 11% were Pseudomonas, and 10% were Erwinia. Interestingly, of the 215 Pantoea taxa, 180 belonged to a single species, P. ananatis. Surprisingly, the diversity within P. ananatis ranged nearly 10-fold amongst the maize accessions analyzed (those with ≥3 replicates), despite being grown in a common field. The highest diversity within P. ananatis occurred in accessions that originated near the center of diversity of domesticated maize, with reduced diversity associated with the north-south migration of maize. This sub-species diversity was revealed by FL-PacBio but missed by V4-MiSeq. V4-MiSeq also mis-identified some dominant genera captured by FL-PacBio. The study, though limited to a single season and common field, provides initial evidence that pollen microbiomes reflect evolutionary and migratory relationships of their host plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eman M. Khalaf
- Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Damanhour University, Damanhour, Egypt
| | - Anuja Shrestha
- Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Michelle Reid
- Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | | | - Manish N. Raizada
- Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
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Grewling Ł, Ribeiro H, Antunes C, Apangu GP, Çelenk S, Costa A, Eguiluz-Gracia I, Galveias A, Gonzalez Roldan N, Lika M, Magyar D, Martinez-Bracero M, Ørby P, O'Connor D, Penha AM, Pereira S, Pérez-Badia R, Rodinkova V, Xhetani M, Šauliene I, Skjøth CA. Outdoor airborne allergens: Characterization, behavior and monitoring in Europe. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 905:167042. [PMID: 37709071 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Aeroallergens or inhalant allergens, are proteins dispersed through the air and have the potential to induce allergic conditions such as rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and asthma. Outdoor aeroallergens are found predominantly in pollen grains and fungal spores, which are allergen carriers. Aeroallergens from pollen and fungi have seasonal emission patterns that correlate with plant pollination and fungal sporulation and are strongly associated with atmospheric weather conditions. They are released when allergen carriers come in contact with the respiratory system, e.g. the nasal mucosa. In addition, due to the rupture of allergen carriers, airborne allergen molecules may be released directly into the air in the form of micronic and submicronic particles (cytoplasmic debris, cell wall fragments, droplets etc.) or adhered onto other airborne particulate matter. Therefore, aeroallergen detection strategies must consider, in addition to the allergen carriers, the allergen molecules themselves. This review article aims to present the current knowledge on inhalant allergens in the outdoor environment, their structure, localization, and factors affecting their production, transformation, release or degradation. In addition, methods for collecting and quantifying aeroallergens are listed and thoroughly discussed. Finally, the knowledge gaps, challenges and implications associated with aeroallergen analysis are described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Łukasz Grewling
- Laboratory of Aerobiology, Department of Systematic and Environmental Botany, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland.
| | - Helena Ribeiro
- Department of Geosciences, Environment and Spatial Plannings of the Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto and Earth Sciences Institute (ICT), Portugal
| | - Celia Antunes
- Department of Medical and Health Sciences, School of Health and Human Development & ICT-Institute of Earth Sciences, IIFA, University of Évora, 7000-671 Évora, Portugal
| | | | - Sevcan Çelenk
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Bursa Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey
| | - Ana Costa
- Department of Medical and Health Sciences, School of Health and Human Development & ICT-Institute of Earth Sciences, IIFA, University of Évora, 7000-671 Évora, Portugal
| | - Ibon Eguiluz-Gracia
- Allergy Unit, Hospital Regional Universitario de Malaga, Malaga 29010, Spain
| | - Ana Galveias
- Department of Medical and Health Sciences, School of Health and Human Development & ICT-Institute of Earth Sciences, IIFA, University of Évora, 7000-671 Évora, Portugal
| | - Nestor Gonzalez Roldan
- Group of Biofunctional Metabolites and Structures, Priority Research Area Chronic Lung Diseases, Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Borstel, Germany; Pollen Laboratory, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mirela Lika
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana, Tirana, Albania
| | - Donát Magyar
- National Center for Public Health and Pharmacy, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Pia Ørby
- Department of Environmental Science, Danish Big Data Centre for Environment and Health (BERTHA) Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - David O'Connor
- School of Chemical Sciences, Dublin City University, Dublin D09 E432, Ireland
| | - Alexandra Marchã Penha
- Water Laboratory, School of Sciences and Technology, ICT-Institute of Earth Sciences, IIFA, University of Évora. 7000-671 Évora, Portugal
| | - Sónia Pereira
- Department of Geosciences, Environment and Spatial Plannings of the Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto and Earth Sciences Institute (ICT), Portugal
| | - Rosa Pérez-Badia
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 45071 Toledo, Spain
| | | | - Merita Xhetani
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana, Tirana, Albania
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Shrestha A, Limay-Rios V, Brettingham DJL, Raizada MN. Bacteria existing in pre-pollinated styles (silks) can defend the exposed male gamete fertilization channel of maize against an environmental Fusarium pathogen. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1292109. [PMID: 38111882 PMCID: PMC10726056 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1292109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
In flowering plants, fertilization requires exposing maternal style channels to the external environment to capture pollen and transmit its resident sperm nuclei to eggs. This results in progeny seed. However, environmental fungal pathogens invade developing seeds through the style. We hypothesized that prior to environmental exposure, style tissue already possesses bacteria that can protect styles and seed from such pathogens. We further hypothesized that farmers have been inadvertently selecting immature styles over many generations to have such bacteria. We tested these hypotheses in maize, a wind-pollinated crop, which has unusually long styles (silks) that are invaded by the economically-important fungal pathogen Fusarium graminearum (Fg). Here, unpollinated silk-associated bacteria were cultured from a wild teosinte ancestor of maize and diverse maize landraces selected by indigenous farmers across the Americas, grown in a common Canadian field for one season. The bacteria were taxonomically classified using 16S rRNA sequencing. In total, 201 bacteria were cultured, spanning 29 genera, 63 species, and 62 unique OTUs, dominated by Pseudomonas, Pantoea and Microbacterium. These bacteria were tested for their ability to suppress Fg in vitro which identified 10 strains belonging to 6 species: Rouxiella badensis, Pantoea ananatis, Pantoea dispersa, Pseudomonas koreensis, Rahnella aquatilis, and Ewingella americana. Two anti-Fg strains were sprayed onto silks before/after Fg inoculation, resulting in ≤90% reductions in disease (Gibberella ear rot) and 70-100% reductions in associated mycotoxins (deoxynivalenol and zearalenone) in progeny seeds. These strains also protected progeny seeds post-harvest. Confocal fluorescent imaging showed that one silk bacterium (Rouxiella AS112) colonized susceptible entry points of Fg on living silks including stigmatic trichomes, wounds, and epidermal surfaces where they formed thick biofilms. Post-infection, AS112 was associated with masses of dead Fg hyphae. These results suggest that the maize style (silk) is endowed with potent bacteria from the mother plant to protect itself and progeny from Fusarium. The evidence suggests this trait may have been selected by specific indigenous peoples, though this interpretation requires further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuja Shrestha
- Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Victor Limay-Rios
- Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Ridgetown, ON, Canada
| | | | - Manish N. Raizada
- Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
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Shen J, Zhao W, Cheng J, Cheng J, Zhao L, Dai C, Fu Y, Li B, Chen Z, Shi D, Li H, Deng Y. Lipopolysaccharide accelerates tryptophan degradation in the ovary and the derivative kynurenine disturbs hormone biosynthesis and reproductive performance. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 458:131988. [PMID: 37418963 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), also known as endotoxin, is a component of the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria. LPS is released into the surrounding environment during bacterial death and lysis. Due to its chemical and thermal stability, LPS can be detected anywhere and easily exposed to humans and animals. Previous studies have shown that LPS causes hormonal imbalances, ovarian failure, and infertility in mammals. However, the potential mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects and mechanisms of LPS on tryptophan degradation, both in vivo and in vitro. The effects of kynurenine, a tryptophan derivative, on granulosa cell function and reproductive performance were explored. Results showed that p38, NF-κB, and JNK signaling pathways were involved in LPS-induced Ido1 expressions and kynurenine accumulation. Furthermore, the kynurenine decreased estradiol production, but increased granulosa cell proliferation. In vivo, experiments showed that kynurenine decreased estradiol and FSH production and inhibited ovulation and corpus luteum formation. Additionally, pregnancy and offspring survival rates decreased considerably after kynurenine treatment. Our findings suggest that kynurenine accumulation disrupts hormone secretion, ovulation, corpus luteal formation, and reproductive performance in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Shen
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Disease Control, College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
| | - Weimin Zhao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
| | - Juanru Cheng
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Disease Control, College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Jinhua Cheng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
| | - Lei Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Disease Control, College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
| | - Chaohui Dai
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
| | - Yanfeng Fu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
| | - Bixia Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
| | - Zhe Chen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
| | - Deshun Shi
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Disease Control, College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Hui Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China.
| | - Yanfei Deng
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Disease Control, College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
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10
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Heldner A, Heath MD, Schnautz B, Kotz S, Chaker A, Kramer MF, Jakwerth CA, Zissler UM, Schmidt-Weber CB, Blank S. Ex Vivo Immunomodulatory Effects of Lactobacillus-, Lacticaseibacillus-, and Bifidobacterium-Containing Synbiotics on Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells and Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cells in the Context of Grass Pollen Allergy. Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins 2023; 15:868-879. [PMID: 35113319 PMCID: PMC10393851 DOI: 10.1007/s12602-022-09920-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Sensing of the intestinal microbiota by the host immune system is important to induce protective immune responses. Hence, modification of the gut microbiota might be able to prevent or treat allergies, mediated by proinflammatory Th2 immune responses. The aim was to investigate the ex vivo immunomodulatory effects of the synbiotics Pollagen® and Kallergen®, containing the probiotic bacterial strains Lactobacillus, Lacticaseibacillus and Bifidobacterium, in the context of grass pollen allergy. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from grass pollen-allergic patients and healthy controls were stimulated with grass pollen extract (GPE) and synbiotics and Gata3 expression and cytokine secretion analyzed. Monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MoDCs) cells were matured in the presence of GPE and synbiotics, co-cultured with autologous naïve T cells and maturation markers and cytokine secretion analyzed. GPE stimulation of PBMCs from grass pollen-allergic patients resulted in a significant higher production of the Th2 cytokines IL-4, IL-5, IL-9 and IL-13 compared to healthy controls. Gata3+CD4+ T cell induction was independent of the allergic status. The synbiotics promoted IL-10 and IFN-γ secretion and downregulated the GPE-induced Th2-like phenotype. Co-culturing naïve T cells with MoDCs, matured in the presence of GPE and synbiotics, shifted the GPE-induced Th2 cytokine release towards Th1-Th17-promoting conditions in allergic subjects. The investigated synbiotics are effective in downregulating the GPE-induced Th2 immune response in PBMCs from grass pollen-allergic patients as well as in autologous MoDC-T cell stimulation assays. In addition to increased IL-10 release, the data indicates a shift from a Th2- to a more Th1- and Th17-like phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Heldner
- Center of Allergy and Environment (ZAUM)Faculty of Medicine and Helmholtz Center MunichMember of the German Center of Lung Research (DZL), Member of the Immunology and Inflammation Initiative of the Helmholtz Association, Technical University of Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Benjamin Schnautz
- Center of Allergy and Environment (ZAUM)Faculty of Medicine and Helmholtz Center MunichMember of the German Center of Lung Research (DZL), Member of the Immunology and Inflammation Initiative of the Helmholtz Association, Technical University of Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764, Munich, Germany
| | - Sebastian Kotz
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Otolaryngology, Klinikum Rechts Der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Adam Chaker
- Center of Allergy and Environment (ZAUM)Faculty of Medicine and Helmholtz Center MunichMember of the German Center of Lung Research (DZL), Member of the Immunology and Inflammation Initiative of the Helmholtz Association, Technical University of Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764, Munich, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Otolaryngology, Klinikum Rechts Der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias F Kramer
- Allergy Therapeutics PLC, Worthing, UK
- Bencard Allergie GmbH, Munich, Germany
| | - Constanze A Jakwerth
- Center of Allergy and Environment (ZAUM)Faculty of Medicine and Helmholtz Center MunichMember of the German Center of Lung Research (DZL), Member of the Immunology and Inflammation Initiative of the Helmholtz Association, Technical University of Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764, Munich, Germany
| | - Ulrich M Zissler
- Center of Allergy and Environment (ZAUM)Faculty of Medicine and Helmholtz Center MunichMember of the German Center of Lung Research (DZL), Member of the Immunology and Inflammation Initiative of the Helmholtz Association, Technical University of Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764, Munich, Germany
| | - Carsten B Schmidt-Weber
- Center of Allergy and Environment (ZAUM)Faculty of Medicine and Helmholtz Center MunichMember of the German Center of Lung Research (DZL), Member of the Immunology and Inflammation Initiative of the Helmholtz Association, Technical University of Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764, Munich, Germany
| | - Simon Blank
- Center of Allergy and Environment (ZAUM)Faculty of Medicine and Helmholtz Center MunichMember of the German Center of Lung Research (DZL), Member of the Immunology and Inflammation Initiative of the Helmholtz Association, Technical University of Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764, Munich, Germany.
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11
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Casamayor EO, Cáliz J, Triadó-Margarit X, Pointing SB. Understanding atmospheric intercontinental dispersal of harmful microorganisms. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2023; 81:102945. [PMID: 37087840 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2023.102945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
The atmosphere is a major route for microbial intercontinental dispersal, including harmful microorganisms, antibiotic resistance genes, and allergens, with strong implications in ecosystem functioning and global health. Long-distance dispersal is facilitated by air movement at higher altitudes in the free troposphere and is affected by anthropogenic forcing, climate change, and by the general atmospheric circulation, mainly in the intertropical convergence zone. The survival of microorganisms during atmospheric transport and their remote invasive potential are fundamental questions, but data are scarce. Extreme atmospheric conditions represent a challenge to survival that requires specific adaptive strategies, and recovery of air samples from the high altitudes relevant to study harmful microorganisms can be challenging. In this paper, we highlight the scope of the problem, identify challenges and knowledge gaps, and offer a roadmap for improved understanding of intercontinental microbial dispersal and their outcomes. Greater understanding of long-distance dispersal requires research focus on local factors that affect emissions, coupled with conditions influencing transport and survival at high altitudes, and eventual deposition at sink locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilio O Casamayor
- Ecology of the Global Microbiome, Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes-CSIC, E-17300 Blanes, Spain.
| | - Joan Cáliz
- Ecology of the Global Microbiome, Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes-CSIC, E-17300 Blanes, Spain
| | - Xavier Triadó-Margarit
- Ecology of the Global Microbiome, Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes-CSIC, E-17300 Blanes, Spain
| | - Stephen B Pointing
- Yale-NUS College & Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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12
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Métris KL, Métris J. Aircraft surveys for air eDNA: probing biodiversity in the sky. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15171. [PMID: 37077310 PMCID: PMC10108859 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Air is a medium for dispersal of environmental DNA (eDNA) carried in bioaerosols, yet the atmosphere is mostly unexplored as a source of genetic material encompassing all domains of life. In this study, we designed and deployed a robust, sterilizable hardware system for airborne nucleic acid capture featuring active filtration of a quantifiable, controllable volume of air and a high-integrity chamber to protect the sample from loss or contamination. We used our hardware system on an aircraft across multiple height transects over major aerosolization sources to collect air eDNA, coupled with high-throughput amplicon sequencing using multiple DNA metabarcoding markers targeting bacteria, plants, and vertebrates to test the hypothesis of large-scale genetic presence of these bioaerosols throughout the planetary boundary layer in the lower troposphere. Here, we demonstrate that the multi-taxa DNA assemblages inventoried up to 2,500 m using our airplane-mounted hardware system are reflective of major aerosolization sources in the survey area and show previously unreported airborne species detections (i.e., Allium sativum L). We also pioneer an aerial survey flight grid standardized for atmospheric sampling of genetic material and aeroallergens using a light aircraft and limited resources. Our results show that air eDNA from terrestrial bacteria, plants, and vertebrates is detectable up to high altitude using our airborne air sampler and demonstrate the usefulness of light aircraft in monitoring campaigns. However, our work also underscores the need for improved marker choices and reference databases for species in the air column, particularly eukaryotes. Taken together, our findings reveal strong connectivity or mixing of terrestrial-associated eDNA from ground level aerosolization sources and the atmosphere, and we recommend that parameters and indices considering lifting action, atmospheric instability, and potential for convection be incorporated in future surveys for air eDNA. Overall, this work establishes a foundation for light aircraft campaigns to comprehensively and economically inventory bioaerosol emissions and impacts at scale, enabling transformative future opportunities in airborne DNA technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly L. Métris
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States
- Airborne Science LLC, Clemson, SC, United States
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13
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Wang Q, Liu S. The Effects and Pathogenesis of PM2.5 and Its Components on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis 2023; 18:493-506. [PMID: 37056681 PMCID: PMC10086390 DOI: 10.2147/copd.s402122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a heterogeneous disease, is the leading cause of death worldwide. In recent years, air pollution, especially particulate matter (PM), has been widely studied as a contributing factor to COPD. As an essential component of PM, PM2.5 is associated with COPD prevalence, morbidity, and acute exacerbations. However, the specific pathogenic mechanisms were still unclear and deserve further research. The diversity and complexity of PM2.5 components make it challenging to get its accurate effects and mechanisms for COPD. It has been determined that the most toxic PM2.5 components are metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), carbonaceous particles (CPs), and other organic compounds. PM2.5-induced cytokine release and oxidative stress are the main mechanisms reported leading to COPD. Nonnegligibly, the microorganism in PM 2.5 may directly cause mononuclear inflammation or break the microorganism balance contributing to the development and exacerbation of COPD. This review focuses on the pathophysiology and consequences of PM2.5 and its components on COPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Wang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Sha Liu
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- Correspondence: Sha Liu, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 35 Jiefang Avenue, Zhengxiang District, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, People’s Republic of China, Email
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14
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Rodríguez-Arias RM, Rojo J, Fernández-González F, Pérez-Badia R. Desert dust intrusions and their incidence on airborne biological content. Review and case study in the Iberian Peninsula. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 316:120464. [PMID: 36273688 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Desert dust intrusions cause the transport of airborne particulate matter from natural sources, with important consequences for climate regulation, biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and dynamics, human health, and socio-economic activities. Some effects of desert intrusions are reinforced or aggravated by the bioaerosol content of the air during these episodes. The influence of desert intrusions on airborne bioaerosol content has been very little studied from a scientific point of view. In this study, a systematic review of scientific literature during 1970-2021 was carried out following the standard protocol Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). After this literature review, only 6% of the articles on airborne transport from desert areas published in the last 50 years are in some way associated with airborne pollen, and of these, only a small proportion focus on the study of pollen-related parameters. The Iberian Peninsula is affected by Saharan intrusions due to its proximity to the African continent and is seeing an increasing trend the number of intrusion events. There is a close relationship among the conditions favouring the occurrence of intrusion episodes, the transport of particulate matter, and the transport of bioaerosols such as pollen grains, spores, or bacteria. The lack of linearity in this relationship and the different seasonal patterns in the occurrence of intrusion events and the pollen season of most plants hinders the study of the correspondence between both phenomena. It is therefore important to analyse the proportion of pollen that comes from regional sources and the proportion that travels over long distances, and the atmospheric conditions that cause greater pollen emission during dust episodes. Current advances in aerobiological techniques make it possible to identify bioaerosols such as pollen and spores that serve as indicators of long-distance transport from remote areas belonging to other bioclimatic and biogeographical units. A greater incidence of desert intrusion episodes may pose a challenge for both traditional systems and for the calibration and correct validation of automatic aerobiological monitoring methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- R M Rodríguez-Arias
- University of Castilla-La Mancha, Institute of Environmental Sciences (Botany), Toledo, Spain
| | - J Rojo
- Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy and Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - F Fernández-González
- University of Castilla-La Mancha, Institute of Environmental Sciences (Botany), Toledo, Spain
| | - R Pérez-Badia
- University of Castilla-La Mancha, Institute of Environmental Sciences (Botany), Toledo, Spain.
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15
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Sofiev M, Sofieva S, Palamarchuk J, Šaulienė I, Kadantsev E, Atanasova N, Fatahi Y, Kouznetsov R, Kuula J, Noreikaite A, Peltonen M, Pihlajamäki T, Saarto A, Svirskaite J, Toiviainen L, Tyuryakov S, Šukienė L, Asmi E, Bamford D, Hyvärinen AP, Karppinen A. Bioaerosols in the atmosphere at two sites in Northern Europe in spring 2021: Outline of an experimental campaign. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 214:113798. [PMID: 35810819 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
A coordinated observational and modelling campaign targeting biogenic aerosols in the air was performed during spring 2021 at two locations in Northern Europe: Helsinki (Finland) and Siauliai (Lithuania), approximately 500 km from each other in north-south direction. The campaign started on March 1, 2021 in Siauliai (12 March in Helsinki) and continued till mid-May in Siauliai (end of May in Helsinki), thus recording the transition of the atmospheric biogenic aerosols profile from winter to summer. The observations included a variety of samplers working on different principles. The core of the program was based on 2- and 2.4--hourly sampling in Helsinki and Siauliai, respectively, with sticky slides (Hirst 24-h trap in Helsinki, Rapid-E slides in Siauliai). The slides were subsequently processed extracting the DNA from the collected aerosols, which was further sequenced using the 3-rd generation sequencing technology. The core sampling was accompanied with daily and daytime sampling using standard filter collectors. The hourly aerosol concentrations at the Helsinki monitoring site were obtained with a Poleno flow cytometer, which could recognize some of the aerosol types. The sampling campaign was supported by numerical modelling. For every sample, SILAM model was applied to calculate its footprint and to predict anthropogenic and natural aerosol concentrations, at both observation sites. The first results confirmed the feasibility of the DNA collection by the applied techniques: all but one delivered sufficient amount of DNA for the following analysis, in over 40% of the cases sufficient for direct DNA sequencing without the PCR step. A substantial variability of the DNA yield has been noticed, generally not following the diurnal variations of the total-aerosol concentrations, which themselves showed variability not related to daytime. An expected upward trend of the biological material amount towards summer was observed but the day-to-day variability was large. The campaign DNA analysis produced the first high-resolution dataset of bioaerosol composition in the North-European spring. It also highlighted the deficiency of generic DNA databases in applications to atmospheric biota: about 40% of samples were not identified with standard bioinformatic methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail Sofiev
- Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland; Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
| | - Svetlana Sofieva
- Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland; University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | | | | | - Nina Atanasova
- Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland; University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Yalda Fatahi
- Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Joel Kuula
- Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Martina Peltonen
- Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland; University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | | | - Julija Svirskaite
- Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland; University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | | | | | - Eija Asmi
- Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland
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16
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Mampage CB, Hughes DD, Jones LM, Metwali N, Thorne PS, Stone EA. Characterization of sub-pollen particles in size-resolved atmospheric aerosol using chemical tracers. ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT: X 2022; 15:100177. [PMID: 36186266 PMCID: PMC9521721 DOI: 10.1016/j.aeaoa.2022.100177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Pollen grains may contain allergens that exacerbate allergic respiratory diseases like asthma and rhinitis. In the presence of water, pollen grains (10-100 μm) can rupture to produce sub-pollen particles (SPP) with diameters <2.5 μm, which in comparison to intact pollen grains, have longer atmospheric lifetimes and greater penetration to the lower lung. The current study examines SPP, fungal spores, and bacteria in size-resolved atmospheric particulate matter (PM) using chemical and biological tracers. During springtime tree pollen season in Iowa City, Iowa, fine particle (PM2.5) concentrations of fructose (a pollen chemical tracer) increased on rainy sampling periods, especially during severe thunderstorms, and peaked when a tornado struck nearby. Submicron fluorescent particles, measured by single-particle fluorescence spectroscopy, were also enhanced during rain events, particularly thunderstorms in agreement with the chemical tracer measurements. PM2.5 sucrose (a pollen chemical tracer) concentrations were higher in early spring when nighttime temperatures were closer to freezing, while fructose concentrations were higher in late spring with warmer temperatures, consistent with chemical tracers being sensitive to seasonal temperature influences. The first co-located measurements of fructose and Bet v 1 (birch pollen allergen), indicated that SPP ranged in diameter from <0.25 to 2.5 μm during rainy sampling periods and that allergens and carbohydrates exhibited distinct size distributions. Meanwhile, mannitol (a fungal spore tracer) peaked on warm, dry days following rain and was primarily in supermicron particles (>1.0 μm), which is consistent with intact fungal spore diameters (1-30 μm). Bacterial endotoxins in PM also increased during extreme weather events, primarily in supermicron particles. While the concentrations of fructose, mannitol, and endotoxin all increased in PM2.5 μm during thunderstorms, the greatest relative increase in concentration was observed for fructose. Together, these observations suggest that SPP containing starch granules and allergens (Bet v 1) were released during rainy sampling periods. This study advances the use of chemical tracers to track SPP and other bioaerosols in the atmosphere, by providing new insight to their size distribution and response to extreme weather conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dagen D. Hughes
- Department of Chemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Lillian M. Jones
- Department of Chemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Nervana Metwali
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Peter S. Thorne
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Stone
- Department of Chemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Corresponding author. Department of Chemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA. (E.A. Stone)
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17
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Sharifi-Rad J, Herrera-Bravo J, Semwal P, Painuli S, Badoni H, Ezzat SM, Farid MM, Merghany RM, Aborehab NM, Salem MA, Sen S, Acharya K, Lapava N, Martorell M, Tynybekov B, Calina D, Cho WC. Artemisia spp.: An Update on Its Chemical Composition, Pharmacological and Toxicological Profiles. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2022; 2022:5628601. [PMID: 36105486 PMCID: PMC9467740 DOI: 10.1155/2022/5628601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Artemisia plants are traditional and ethnopharmacologically used to treat several diseases and in addition in food, spices, and beverages. The genus is widely distributed in all continents except the Antarctica, and traditional medicine has been used as antimalarial, antioxidant, anticancer, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral agents. This review is aimed at systematizing scientific data on the geographical distribution, chemical composition, and pharmacological and toxicological profiles of the Artemisia genus. Data from the literature on Artemisia plants were taken using electronic databases such as PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science. Selected papers for this updated study included data about phytochemicals, preclinical pharmacological experimental studies with molecular mechanisms included, clinical studies, and toxicological and safety data. In addition, ancient texts and books were consulted. The essential oils and phytochemicals of the Artemisia genus have reported important biological activities, among them the artemisinin, a sesquiterpene lactone, with antimalarial activity. Artemisia absinthium L. is one of the most famous Artemisia spp. due to its use in the production of the absinthe drink which is restricted in most countries because of neurotoxicity. The analyzed studies confirmed that Artemisia plants have many traditional and pharmacological applications. However, scientific data are limited to clinical and toxicological research. Therefore, further research is needed on these aspects to understand the full therapeutic potential and molecular pharmacological mechanisms of this medicinal species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jesús Herrera-Bravo
- Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Santo Tomas, Chile
- Center of Molecular Biology and Pharmacogenetics, Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile
| | - Prabhakar Semwal
- Department of Life Sciences, Graphic Era Deemed To Be University, Dehradun, 248002, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Sakshi Painuli
- Uttarakhand Council for Biotechnology (UCB), Prem Nagar, Dehradun, 248007 Uttarakhand, India
| | - Himani Badoni
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied and Life Sciences, Uttaranchal University, Prem Nagar, Dehradun, 248007, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Shahira M. Ezzat
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, October University for Modern Sciences and Arts (MSA), Giza 12451, Egypt
| | - Mai M. Farid
- Department of Phytochemistry and Plant Systematics, National Research Centre, 33 El Bohouth St., Dokki, P. O. 12622, Giza, Egypt
| | - Rana M. Merghany
- Pharmacognosy Department, Pharmaceutical and Drug Industries Research Institute, National Research Centre (NRC), 33 El-Bohouth street, Dokki, Giza, Egypt
| | - Nora M. Aborehab
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, October University for Modern Sciences and Arts (MSA), Giza 12451, Egypt
| | - Mohamed A. Salem
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Menoufia University, Gamal Abd El Nasr St., Shibin El Kom, 32511 Menoufia, Egypt
| | - Surjit Sen
- Molecular and Applied Mycology and Plant Pathology Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, Kolkata 700019, India
- Department of Botany, Fakir Chand College, Diamond Harbour, West Bengal 743331, India
| | - Krishnendu Acharya
- Molecular and Applied Mycology and Plant Pathology Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, Kolkata 700019, India
| | - Natallia Lapava
- Medicine Standardization Department, Vitebsk State Medical University, Belarus
| | - Miquel Martorell
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Pharmacy, And Centre for Healthy Living, University of Concepción, Concepción, Chile
- Universidad de Concepción, Unidad de Desarrollo Tecnológico (UDT), 4070386 Concepción, Chile
| | - Bekzat Tynybekov
- Department of Biodiversity of Bioresources, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Daniela Calina
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
| | - William C. Cho
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong
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18
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Urrutia-Pereira M, Chong-Neto HJ, Annesi Maesano I, Ansotegui IJ, Caraballo L, Cecchi L, Galán C, López JF, Aguttes MM, Peden D, Pomés A, Zakzuk J, Rosário Filho NA, D'Amato G. Environmental contributions to the interactions of COVID-19 and asthma: A secondary publication and update. World Allergy Organ J 2022; 15:100686. [PMID: 35966894 PMCID: PMC9359502 DOI: 10.1016/j.waojou.2022.100686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
An outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) started in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China and quickly spread around the world. Current evidence is contradictory on the association of asthma with COVID-19 and associated severe outcomes. Type 2 inflammation may reduce the risk for severe COVID-19. Whether asthma diagnosis may be a risk factor for severe COVID-19, especially for those with severe disease or non-allergic phenotypes, deserves further attention and clarification. In addition, COVID-19 does not appear to provoke asthma exacerbations, and asthma therapeutics should be continued for patients with exposure to COVID-19. Changes in the intensity of pollinization, an earlier start and extension of the pollinating season, and the increase in production and allergenicity of pollen are known direct effects that air pollution has on physical, chemical, and biological properties of the pollen grains. They are influenced and triggered by meteorological variables that could partially explain the effect on COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 is capable of persisting in the environment and can be transported by bioaerosols which can further influence its transmission rate and seasonality. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the behavior of adults and children globally. A general trend during the pandemic has been human isolation indoors due to school lockdowns and loss of job or implementation of virtual work at home. A consequence of this behavior change would presumably be changes in indoor allergen exposures and reduction of inhaled outdoor allergens. Therefore, lockdowns during the pandemic might have improved some specific allergies, while worsening others, depending on the housing conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Herberto Jose Chong-Neto
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Isabella Annesi Maesano
- French NIH (INSERM), and EPAR Department, IPLESP, INSERM and Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | | | - Luis Caraballo
- Institute for Immunological Research, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia
| | - Lorenzo Cecchi
- Centre of Bioclimatology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- SOS Allergy and Clinical Immunology, USL Toscana Centro, Prato, Italy
| | - Carmen Galán
- Department of Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology, International Campus of Excellence on Agrifood (ceiA3), University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Juan Felipe López
- Institute for Immunological Research, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia
| | | | - David Peden
- UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Anna Pomés
- Basic Research, Indoor Biotechnologies, Inc, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Josefina Zakzuk
- Institute for Immunological Research, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia
| | | | - Gennaro D'Amato
- Division of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases, High Specialty Hospital A. Cardarelli, School of Specialization in Respiratory Diseases, Federico II University, Naples, Italy
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19
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Huang Y, Zhang Y, Wang J, Li X, Wang C, Chen R, Zhang L. Impact of Air Pollutants and Pollen on the Severity of Nonallergic Rhinitis: A Data-Oriented Analysis. J Asthma Allergy 2022; 15:1045-1054. [PMID: 35967096 PMCID: PMC9364988 DOI: 10.2147/jaa.s372927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Rhino-conjunctivitis symptoms are more severe in nonallergic rhinitis (NAR) patients during pollen season than in other seasons. Little is known about the role of pollen and air pollutants on the severity of NAR. Objective The aim of this study is to assess the cross-sectional effects of both pollen and air pollutants on NAR patients during the pollen and non-pollen seasons, and to further explore the possible relationship among these triggers. Methods A total of 2411 clinically diagnosed NAR outpatients from 2018 to 2019 were recruited for this study. The severity of NAR was measured using rhinoconjunctivitis symptom scores. Associations of daily exposure to pollen, PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, CO, O3, and rhinoconjunctivitis symptom scores were evaluated using Logistic regression models. Distributed Lag Nonlinear models were used to explore single-day and accumulative Lag effects of environmental factors mentioned above. Results During the pollen season, pollen concentration, higher exposure levels of PM10, PM2.5, NO2, and SO2 increased the severity of NAR group when compared with the low-moderate severity group. The high severity group was associated with lower exposure levels of O3. However, during non-pollen seasons, no significant association was found in air pollutant metrics, pollen concentration, and severity of NAR. The exposure-severity effects of pollen were different when different ambient pollutants were stratified. Conclusion Synergistic effect of pollen and air pollutants, including PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, and O3, might be responsible for aggravating the symptoms of NAR patients during pollen seasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanran Huang
- Department of Allergy, Beijing TongRen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing TongRen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Nasal Diseases, Beijing Institute of Otolaryngology, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuan Zhang
- Department of Allergy, Beijing TongRen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing TongRen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Nasal Diseases, Beijing Institute of Otolaryngology, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiajia Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- School of Public Health, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaobo Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- School of Public Health, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chengshuo Wang
- Department of Allergy, Beijing TongRen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing TongRen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Rui Chen
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- School of Public Health, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Rui Chen, Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, Capital Medical University, 10 Xitoutiao, You’anmen, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100069, People’s Republic of China, Email
| | - Luo Zhang
- Department of Allergy, Beijing TongRen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing TongRen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Nasal Diseases, Beijing Institute of Otolaryngology, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Correspondence: Luo Zhang, Beijing Key Laboratory of Nasal Diseases, Beijing Institute of Otolaryngology, No. 17, HouGouHuTong, DongCheng District, Beijing, 100005, People’s Republic of China, Email
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20
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Art v 1 IgE epitopes of patients and humanized mice are conformational. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2022; 150:920-930. [PMID: 35738928 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2022.04.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Worldwide, pollen of the weed mugwort (Artemisiavulgaris) is a major cause of severe respiratory allergy, with its major allergen, Art v 1, being the key pathogenic molecule for millions of patients. Humanized mice transgenic for a human T-cell receptor specific for the major Art v 1 T-cell epitope and the corresponding HLA have been made. OBJECTIVE We sought to characterize IgE epitopes of Art v 1-sensitized patients and humanized mice for molecular immunotherapy of mugwort allergy. METHODS Four overlapping peptides incorporating surface-exposed amino acids representing the full-length Art v 1 sequence were synthesized and used to search for IgE reactivity to sequential epitopes. For indirect mapping, peptide-specific rabbit antibodies were raised to block IgE against surface-exposed epitopes on folded Art v 1. IgE reactivity and basophil activation studies were performed in clinically defined mugwort-allergic patients. Secondary structure of recombinant (r) Art v 1 and peptides was determined by circular dichroism spectroscopy. RESULTS Mugwort-allergic patients and humanized mice sensitized by allergen inhalation showed IgE reactivity and/or basophil activation mainly to folded, complete Art v 1 but not to unfolded, sequential peptide epitopes. Blocking of allergic patients' IgE with peptide-specific rabbit antisera identified a hitherto unknown major conformational IgE binding site in the C-terminal Art v 1 domain. CONCLUSIONS Identification of the new major conformational IgE binding site on Art v 1, which can be blocked with IgG raised against non-IgE reactive Art v 1 peptides, is an important basis for the development of a hypoallergenic peptide vaccine for mugwort allergy.
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21
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Bacterial Species Associated with Highly Allergenic Plant Pollen Yield a High Level of Endotoxins and Induce Chemokine and Cytokine Release from Human A549 Cells. Inflammation 2022; 45:2186-2201. [PMID: 35668156 DOI: 10.1007/s10753-022-01684-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Sensitization to pollen allergens has been increasing in Europe every year. Most studies in this field are related to climate change, phenology, allergens associated with different pollens, and allergic disorders. As a plant microhabitat, pollen is colonized by diverse microorganisms, including endotoxin-producing bacteria which may contribute to pollen allergy (pollinosis). Therefore, bacteria isolated from high allergenic and low allergenic plant pollen, as well as the pollen itself with all microbial inhabitants, were used to assess the effect of the pollen by measuring the endotoxins lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA) concentrations and their effect on chemokine and cytokine release from transwell cultured epithelial A549 cells as a model of epithelial lung barrier. High allergenic pollen showed a significantly higher level of bacterial endotoxins; interestingly, the endotoxin level found in the bacterial isolates from high allergenic pollen was significantly higher compared to that of bacteria from low allergenic pollen. Moreover, bacterial LPS concentrations across different pollen species positively correlated with the LPS concentration across their corresponding bacterial isolates. Selected bacterial isolates from hazel pollen (HA5, HA13, and HA7) co-cultured with A549 cells induced a potent concentration-dependent release of the chemokine interleukin-8 and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 as well as the cytokine TNF-alpha and interleukin-2 to both apical and basal compartments of the transwell model. This study clearly shows the role of bacteria and bacterial endotoxins in the pollen allergy as well as seasonal allergic rhinitis.
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22
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Šantl-Temkiv T, Amato P, Casamayor EO, Lee PKH, Pointing SB. OUP accepted manuscript. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2022; 46:6524182. [PMID: 35137064 PMCID: PMC9249623 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuac009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The atmosphere connects habitats across multiple spatial scales via airborne dispersal of microbial cells, propagules and biomolecules. Atmospheric microorganisms have been implicated in a variety of biochemical and biophysical transformations. Here, we review ecological aspects of airborne microorganisms with respect to their dispersal, activity and contribution to climatic processes. Latest studies utilizing metagenomic approaches demonstrate that airborne microbial communities exhibit pronounced biogeography, driven by a combination of biotic and abiotic factors. We quantify distributions and fluxes of microbial cells between surface habitats and the atmosphere and place special emphasis on long-range pathogen dispersal. Recent advances have established that these processes may be relevant for macroecological outcomes in terrestrial and marine habitats. We evaluate the potential biological transformation of atmospheric volatile organic compounds and other substrates by airborne microorganisms and discuss clouds as hotspots of microbial metabolic activity in the atmosphere. Furthermore, we emphasize the role of microorganisms as ice nucleating particles and their relevance for the water cycle via formation of clouds and precipitation. Finally, potential impacts of anthropogenic forcing on the natural atmospheric microbiota via emission of particulate matter, greenhouse gases and microorganisms are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Šantl-Temkiv
- Department of Biology, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Pierre Amato
- Institut de Chimie de Clermont-Ferrand, SIGMA Clermont, CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, 63178, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Emilio O Casamayor
- Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes, Spanish Council for Research (CSIC), 17300, Blanes, Spain
| | - Patrick K H Lee
- School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Stephen B Pointing
- Corresponding author: Yale-NUS College, National University of Singapore, 16 College Avenue West, Singapore 138527. Tel: +65 6601 1000; E-mail:
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23
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Pointner L, Kraiem A, Thaler M, Richter F, Wenger M, Bethanis A, Klotz M, Traidl-Hoffmann C, Gilles S, Aglas L. Birch Pollen Induces Toll-Like Receptor 4-Dependent Dendritic Cell Activation Favoring T Cell Responses. FRONTIERS IN ALLERGY 2021; 2:680937. [PMID: 35386993 PMCID: PMC8974861 DOI: 10.3389/falgy.2021.680937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Seasonal exposure to birch pollen (BP) is a major cause of pollinosis. The specific role of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in BP-induced allergic inflammation and the identification of key factors in birch pollen extracts (BPE) initiating this process remain to be explored. This study aimed to examine (i) the importance of TLR4 for dendritic cell (DC) activation by BPE, (ii) the extent of the contribution of BPE-derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and other potential TLR4 adjuvant(s) in BPE, and (iii) the relevance of the TLR4-dependent activation of BPE-stimulated DCs in the initiation of an adaptive immune response. In vitro, activation of murine bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs) and human monocyte-derived DCs by BPE or the equivalent LPS (nLPS) was analyzed by flow cytometry. Polymyxin B (PMB), a TLR4 antagonist and TLR4-deficient BMDCs were used to investigate the TLR4 signaling in DC activation. The immunostimulatory activity of BPE was compared to protein-/lipid-depleted BPE-fractions. In co-cultures of BPE-pulsed BMDCs and Bet v 1-specific hybridoma T cells, the influence of the TLR4-dependent DC activation on T cell activation was analyzed. In vivo immunization of IL-4 reporter mice was conducted to study BPE-induced Th2 polarization upon PMB pre-treatment. Murine and human DC activation induced by either BPE or nLPS was inhibited by the TLR4 antagonist or by PMB, and abrogated in TLR4-deficient BMDCs compared to wild-type BMDCs. The lipid-free but not the protein-free fraction showed a reduced capacity to activate the TLR4 signaling and murine DCs. In human DCs, nLPS only partially reproduced the BPE-induced activation intensity. BPE-primed BMDCs efficiently stimulated T cell activation, which was repressed by the TLR4 antagonist or PMB, and the addition of nLPS to Bet v 1 did not reproduce the effect of BPE. In vivo, immunization with BPE induced a significant Th2 polarization, whereas administration of BPE pre-incubated with PMB showed a decreased tendency. These findings suggest that TLR4 is a major pathway by which BPE triggers DC activation that is involved in the initiation of adaptive immune responses. Further characterization of these BP-derived TLR4 adjuvants could provide new candidates for therapeutic strategies targeting specific mechanisms in BP-induced allergic inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Pointner
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Amin Kraiem
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Michael Thaler
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Fabian Richter
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Mario Wenger
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | | | - Markus Klotz
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann
- Chair of Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
- Christine Kühne 96 Center for Allergy Research and Education (CK-CARE), Davos, Switzerland
| | - Stefanie Gilles
- Chair of Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Lorenz Aglas
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
- *Correspondence: Lorenz Aglas
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24
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Dunker S, Hornick T, Szczepankiewicz G, Maier M, Bastl M, Bumberger J, Treudler R, Liebert UG, Simon JC. No SARS-CoV-2 detected in air samples (pollen and particulate matter) in Leipzig during the first spread. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 755:142881. [PMID: 33097263 PMCID: PMC7552966 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic co-occurred with pollen season in Europe 2020 and recent studies suggest a potential link between both. Air samples collected at our measuring station in Leipzig and purified pollen were analyzed for SARS-CoV-2 typical signals or for virus-induced cytopathic effects, to test if the virus could bind to bioaerosols and if so, whether these complexes are infectious. The results show that neither our air samples nor purified pollen were infectious or could act as carrier for virus particles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Dunker
- Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Physiological Diversity, Deutscher Platz 5a, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research - (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5a, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Thomas Hornick
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research - (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5a, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Physiological Diversity, Deutscher Platz 5a, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Grit Szczepankiewicz
- University of Leipzig Medical Center, Institute of Virology, Johannisallee 30, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Melanie Maier
- University of Leipzig Medical Center, Institute of Virology, Johannisallee 30, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Maximilian Bastl
- Medical University of Vienna, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jan Bumberger
- Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Monitoring and Exploration Technologies, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Regina Treudler
- University of Leipzig Medical Center, Dept. of Dermatology, Venerology and Allergology, LICA - Comprehensive Allergy Centre, Ph.-Rosenthal-Str. 23-25, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Uwe G Liebert
- University of Leipzig Medical Center, Institute of Virology, Johannisallee 30, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jan-Christoph Simon
- University of Leipzig Medical Center, Dept. of Dermatology, Venerology and Allergology, LICA - Comprehensive Allergy Centre, Ph.-Rosenthal-Str. 23-25, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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25
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Cordero JM, Núñez A, García AM, Borge R. Assessment and statistical modelling of airborne microorganisms in Madrid. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 269:116124. [PMID: 33246763 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.116124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The limited evidence available suggests that the interaction between chemical pollutants and biological particles may intensify respiratory diseases caused by air pollution in urban areas. Unlike air pollutants, which are routinely measured, records of biotic component are scarce. While pollen concentrations are daily surveyed in most cities, data related to airborne bacteria or fungi are not usually available. This work presents the first effort to understand atmospheric pollution integrating both biotic and abiotic agents, trying to identify relationships among the Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Ascomycota phyla with palynological, meteorological and air quality variables using all biological historical records available in the Madrid Greater Region. The tools employed involve statistical hypothesis contrast tests such as Kruskal-Wallis and machine learning algorithms. A cluster analysis was performed to analyse which abiotic variables were able to separate the biotic variables into groups. Significant relationships were found for temperature and relative humidity. In addition, the relative abundance of the biological phyla studied was affected by PM10 and O3 ambient concentration. Preliminary Generalized Additive Models (GAMs) to predict the biotic relative abundances based on these atmospheric variables were developed. The results (r = 0.70) were acceptable taking into account the scarcity of the available data. These models can be used as an indication of the biotic composition when no measurements are available. They are also a good starting point to continue working in the development of more accurate models and to investigate causal relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- José María Cordero
- Environmental Modelling Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, (UPM), E-28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Andrés Núñez
- Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (ETSII-UPM), E-28006, Madrid, Spain; Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, E-30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - Ana M García
- Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (ETSII-UPM), E-28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Borge
- Environmental Modelling Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, (UPM), E-28006, Madrid, Spain.
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26
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Trendafilova A, Moujir LM, Sousa PMC, Seca AML. Research Advances on Health Effects of Edible Artemisia Species and Some Sesquiterpene Lactones Constituents. Foods 2020; 10:E65. [PMID: 33396790 PMCID: PMC7823681 DOI: 10.3390/foods10010065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The genus Artemisia, often known collectively as "wormwood", has aroused great interest in the scientific community, pharmaceutical and food industries, generating many studies on the most varied aspects of these plants. In this review, the most recent evidence on health effects of edible Artemisia species and some of its constituents are presented and discussed, based on studies published until 2020, available in the Scopus, Web of Sciences and PubMed databases, related to food applications, nutritional and sesquiterpene lactones composition, and their therapeutic effects supported by in vivo and clinical studies. The analysis of more than 300 selected articles highlights the beneficial effect on health and the high clinical relevance of several Artemisia species besides some sesquiterpene lactones constituents and their derivatives. From an integrated perspective, as it includes therapeutic and nutritional properties, without ignoring some adverse effects described in the literature, this review shows the great potential of Artemisia plants and some of their constituents as dietary supplements, functional foods and as the source of new, more efficient, and safe medicines. Despite all the benefits demonstrated, some gaps need to be filled, mainly related to the use of raw Artemisia extracts, such as its standardization and clinical trials on adverse effects and its health care efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoaneta Trendafilova
- Institute of Organic Chemistry with Centre of Phytochemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., bl. 9, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Laila M. Moujir
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, Genetics and Cell Biology, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de La Laguna, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain;
| | - Pedro M. C. Sousa
- Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Azores, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada, Portugal;
| | - Ana M. L. Seca
- cE3c—Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes/Azorean Biodiversity Group & Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Azores, Rua Mãe de Deus, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada, Portugal
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
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Cecchi L, D’Amato G, Annesi‐Maesano I. Climate change and outdoor aeroallergens related to allergy and asthma: Taking the exposome into account. Allergy 2020; 75:2361-2363. [PMID: 32198930 DOI: 10.1111/all.14286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Cecchi
- SOS Allergy and Clinical Immunology ‐ Prato USL Toscana Centro Florence Italy
- Centre of Bioclimatology University of Florence Florence Italy
| | - Gennaro D’Amato
- Division of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases Department of Chest Diseases High Speciality A. Cardarelli Hospital Napoli Italy
- Medical School of Specialization in Respiratory Diseases University of Naples Federico II Naples Italy
| | - Isabella Annesi‐Maesano
- Sorbonne Université and INSERM Epidemiology of Allergic and Respiratory Diseases Department Institut Pierre Louis D'Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique Paris France
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28
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Pointner L, Bethanis A, Thaler M, Traidl-Hoffmann C, Gilles S, Ferreira F, Aglas L. Initiating pollen sensitization - complex source, complex mechanisms. Clin Transl Allergy 2020; 10:36. [PMID: 32884636 PMCID: PMC7461309 DOI: 10.1186/s13601-020-00341-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms involved in the induction of allergic sensitization by pollen are not fully understood. Within the last few decades, findings from epidemiological and experimental studies support the notion that allergic sensitization is not only dependent on the genetics of the host and environmental factors, but also on intrinsic features of the allergenic source itself. In this review, we summarize the current concepts and newest advances in research focusing on the initial mechanisms inducing pollen sensitization. Pollen allergens are embedded in a complex and heterogeneous matrix composed of a myriad of bioactive molecules that are co-delivered during the allergic sensitization. Surprisingly, several purified allergens were shown to lack inherent sensitizing potential. Thus, growing evidence supports an essential role of pollen-derived components co-delivered with the allergens in the initiation of allergic sensitization. The pollen matrix, which is composed by intrinsic molecules (e.g. proteins, metabolites, lipids, carbohydrates) and extrinsic compounds (e.g. viruses, particles from air pollutants, pollen-linked microbiome), provide a specific context for the allergen and has been proposed as a determinant of Th2 polarization. In addition, the involvement of various pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), secreted alarmins, innate immune cells, and the dependency of DCs in driving pollen-induced Th2 inflammatory processes suggest that allergic sensitization to pollen most likely results from particular combinations of pollen-specific signals rather than from a common determinant of allergenicity. The exact identification and characterization of such pollen-derived Th2-polarizing molecules should provide mechanistic insights into Th2 polarization and pave the way for novel preventive and therapeutic strategies against pollen allergies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Pointner
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstraße. 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Athanasios Bethanis
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstraße. 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Michael Thaler
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstraße. 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann
- Chair and Institute of Environmental Medicine, UNIKA-T, Technical University of Munich and Helmholtz Zentrum München, Augsburg, Germany
- Christine-Kühne-Center for Allergy Research and Education (CK-Care), Davos, Switzerland
| | - Stefanie Gilles
- Chair and Institute of Environmental Medicine, UNIKA-T, Technical University of Munich and Helmholtz Zentrum München, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Fatima Ferreira
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstraße. 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Lorenz Aglas
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstraße. 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
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29
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Núñez A, Moreno DA. The Differential Vertical Distribution of the Airborne Biological Particles Reveals an Atmospheric Reservoir of Microbial Pathogens and Aeroallergens. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2020; 80:322-333. [PMID: 32221644 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-020-01505-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The most abundant biological particles present in the air are bacteria, fungal propagules and pollen grains. Many of them are proved allergens or even responsible for airborne infectious diseases, which supports the increase of studies in recent years on their composition, diversity, and factors involved in their variability. However, most studies in urban areas are conducted close to ground level and a factor such as height is rarely taken into account. Thus, the information about how the composition of biological particles changes with this variable is scarce. Here, we examined the differential distribution of bacteria, fungi, and plants at four altitudes (up to ∼ 250 m) in a metropolitan area using high-throughput DNA sequencing. Most taxa were present at all levels (common taxa). However, a transitional layer between 80 and 150 m seemed to affect the scattering of these bioaerosols. Taxa not present at all altitudes (non-common) showed an upward tendency of diversity for bacteria and plants with height, while the opposite trend was observed for fungi. Certain patterns were observed for fungi and specific plant genera, while bacterial taxa showed a more arbitrary distribution and no patterns were found. We detected a wide variety of aeroallergens and potential pathogens at all heights, which summed a substantial portion of the total abundance for fungi and plants. We also identified potential connections between the biological particles based on their abundances across the vertical section.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Núñez
- Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (ETSII-UPM), c/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, E-28006, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, E-30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - Diego A Moreno
- Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (ETSII-UPM), c/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, E-28006, Madrid, Spain.
- Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (FF-UCLM), Avda. Dr. José María Sánchez Ibáñez s/n, E-02008, Albacete, Spain.
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Joubert AI, Geppert M, Johnson L, Mills-Goodlet R, Michelini S, Korotchenko E, Duschl A, Weiss R, Horejs-Höck J, Himly M. Mechanisms of Particles in Sensitization, Effector Function and Therapy of Allergic Disease. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1334. [PMID: 32714326 PMCID: PMC7344151 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans have always been in contact with natural airborne particles from many sources including biologic particulate matter (PM) which can exhibit allergenic properties. With industrialization, anthropogenic and combustion-derived particles have become a major fraction. Currently, an ever-growing number of diverse and innovative materials containing engineered nanoparticles (NPs) are being developed with great expectations in technology and medicine. Nanomaterials have entered everyday products including cosmetics, textiles, electronics, sports equipment, as well as food, and food packaging. As part of natural evolution humans have adapted to the exposure to particulate matter, aiming to protect the individual's integrity and health. At the respiratory barrier, complications can arise, when allergic sensitization and pulmonary diseases occur in response to particle exposure. Particulate matter in the form of plant pollen, dust mites feces, animal dander, but also aerosols arising from industrial processes in occupational settings including diverse mixtures thereof can exert such effects. This review article gives an overview of the allergic immune response and addresses specifically the mechanisms of particulates in the context of allergic sensitization, effector function and therapy. In regard of the first theme (i), an overview on exposure to particulates and the functionalities of the relevant immune cells involved in allergic sensitization as well as their interactions in innate and adaptive responses are described. As relevant for human disease, we aim to outline (ii) the potential effector mechanisms that lead to the aggravation of an ongoing immune deviation (such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, etc.) by inhaled particulates, including NPs. Even though adverse effects can be exerted by (nano)particles, leading to allergic sensitization, and the exacerbation of allergic symptoms, promising potential has been shown for their use in (iii) therapeutic approaches of allergic disease, for example as adjuvants. Hence, allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) is introduced and the role of adjuvants such as alum as well as the current understanding of their mechanisms of action is reviewed. Finally, future prospects of nanomedicines in allergy treatment are described, which involve modern platform technologies combining immunomodulatory effects at several (immuno-)functional levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna I Joubert
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Mark Geppert
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Litty Johnson
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Robert Mills-Goodlet
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Sara Michelini
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Evgeniia Korotchenko
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Albert Duschl
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Richard Weiss
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Jutta Horejs-Höck
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Martin Himly
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
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Grewling Ł, Bogawski P, Kostecki Ł, Nowak M, Szymańska A, Frątczak A. Atmospheric exposure to the major Artemisia pollen allergen (Art v 1): Seasonality, impact of weather, and clinical implications. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 713:136611. [PMID: 31958727 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.136611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Artemisia pollen grains are important aeroallergens worldwide. The amount of allergenic proteins produced by pollen, or pollen allergenicity, is regulated by both genes and the environment. As a result, even closely related plant taxa may release pollen with distinctly different allergen contents. Here, we determined the variability in atmospheric exposure to the major Artemisia pollen allergen, Art v 1, during the pollination seasons of two common species, i.e., A. vulgaris (early flowering species) and A. campestris (late flowering species), in Poznań, Poland (2013-2015). Artemisia pollen grains were collected using Hirst-type volumetric trap, while Art v 1 was collected by a two-stage cascade impactor (PM10 and PM>10 air fractions) and quantified by immunoenzymatic analysis. The results showed that daily Art v 1 levels correlated significantly with mean daily concentrations of Artemisia pollen (from r = 0.426 to r = 0.949, depending on air fraction and peak of the season). Significant differences were observed between 1) the median pollen allergenicity in different seasons (from 2.5 to 4.7 pg Art v 1/pollen) and 2) the median pollen allergenicity in different peak periods of the season (from 1.8 to 6.7 pg Art v 1/pollen). During the late peak (flowering of A. campestris), the median pollen allergenicity was significantly higher (on average by 63%, p < 0.05) than that during A. vulgaris flowering. The highest mean seasonal pollen allergenicity was observed during the wettest season, while the lowest was observed during the driest season (from July-August). In summary, our study showed distinct differences in Artemisia pollen allergenicity, that were not only related to daily and seasonal variability, which may exceed 800% and 80%, respectively but also noticeable when two common Artemisia species were compared. Therefore, we argue that variability in pollen allergenicity (both seasonal and species-specific) should be considered in future studies assessing pollen exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Łukasz Grewling
- Laboratory of Aeropalynology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland.
| | - Paweł Bogawski
- Laboratory of Biological Spatial Information, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Łukasz Kostecki
- Laboratory of Aeropalynology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Nowak
- Laboratory of Aeropalynology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Agata Szymańska
- Laboratory of Aeropalynology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Agata Frątczak
- Department of Plant Taxonomy, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
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Wu P, He Y, Zeng Z, Yang Z, Li Y. Allergic contact dermatitis by Artemisia: Report of two cases. Contact Dermatitis 2020; 83:31-32. [PMID: 32067232 DOI: 10.1111/cod.13495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Panqian Wu
- Department of Dermatology, First Affiliated Hospital, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Yunting He
- Department of Dermatology, First Affiliated Hospital, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Zixun Zeng
- Department of Dermatology, First Affiliated Hospital, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Zhi Yang
- Department of Dermatology, First Affiliated Hospital, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Yuye Li
- Department of Dermatology, First Affiliated Hospital, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
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33
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Flowering Phenology and Characteristics of Pollen Aeroparticles of Quercus Species in Korea. FORESTS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/f11020232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In recent decades, airborne allergens for allergic respiratory diseases have been found to increase significantly by a process of converting coniferous forests into broad-leaved forests in Korea. This study was conducted to evaluate factors, including airborne pollen counts, micromorphology, and flowering phenology, that can affect oak pollen-related allergic symptoms. The catkin of Mongolian oak (Quercus mongolica Fisch. ex Ledeb.) showed the most rapidly blooming catkin on Julian day 104 in flower development. Among six species, the last flowering was observed on Julian day 119 in Korean oak (Quercus dentata Thunb.). The pollen dispersal was persisted for about 32 days from Julian day 104 to Julian day 136. Airborne pollen was observed about 2 weeks after flowering phase H, the senescence phase. Pollen size varied by species, with the largest from Q. mongolica (polar axis length, PL = 31.72 µm, equatorial axis length, EL = 39.05 µm) and the smallest from Jolcham oak (Quercus serrata Murray) (PL = 26.47 µm, EL = 32.32 µm). Regarding pollen wall structure, endexine of Q. dentata was coarsely laminated or fragmented. The endexine thicknesses of Sawtooth oak (Quercus acutissima Carruth.) and Q. serrata were thick and stable, whereas Galcham oak (Quercus aliena Blume), Q. mongolica, and Oriental cork oak (Quercus variabilis Blume) had thinner endexines. The area occupied by pollenkitt of Q. variabilis was significantly larger than that of Q. acutissima. Importantly, Q. variabilis had a distinctly thick 17 kDa protein band, a presumed major allergen. Oak species differ in pollen protein composition, and thus there is a possibility that the allergenic activity of pollen proteins vary depending on oak species. This study highlights the fact that native oak species in Korea differ in flowering pattern of male flowers, pollen morphology, and pollen chemical constituents. These discrepancies in flowering and pollen properties imply variable allergic responses to oak pollen from different species.
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Hufnagl K, Pali-Schöll I, Roth-Walter F, Jensen-Jarolim E. Dysbiosis of the gut and lung microbiome has a role in asthma. Semin Immunopathol 2020; 42:75-93. [PMID: 32072252 PMCID: PMC7066092 DOI: 10.1007/s00281-019-00775-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 204] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/15/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Worldwide 300 million children and adults are affected by asthma. The development of asthma is influenced by environmental and other exogenous factors synergizing with genetic predisposition, and shaping the lung microbiome especially during birth and in very early life. The healthy lung microbial composition is characterized by a prevalence of bacteria belonging to the phyla Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes. However, viral respiratory infections are associated with an abundance of Proteobacteria with genera Haemophilus and Moraxella in young children and adult asthmatics. This dysbiosis supports the activation of inflammatory pathways and contributes to bronchoconstriction and bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Exogenous factors can affect the natural lung microbiota composition positively (farming environment) or negatively (allergens, air pollutants). It is evident that also gut microbiota dysbiosis has a high influence on asthma pathogenesis. Antibiotics, antiulcer medications, and other drugs severely impair gut as well as lung microbiota. Resulting dysbiosis and reduced microbial diversity dysregulate the bidirectional crosstalk across the gut-lung axis, resulting in hypersensitivity and hyperreactivity to respiratory and food allergens. Efforts are undertaken to reconstitute the microbiota and immune balance by probiotics and engineered bacteria, but results from human studies do not yet support their efficacy in asthma prevention or treatment. Overall, dysbiosis of gut and lung seem to be critical causes of the increased emergence of asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Hufnagl
- The Interuniversity Messerli Research Institute, Medical University Vienna and University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Isabella Pali-Schöll
- The Interuniversity Messerli Research Institute, Medical University Vienna and University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Franziska Roth-Walter
- The Interuniversity Messerli Research Institute, Medical University Vienna and University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Erika Jensen-Jarolim
- The Interuniversity Messerli Research Institute, Medical University Vienna and University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria. .,Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Institute of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Medical University Vienna, Währinger G. 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
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35
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Tseng YT, Kawashima S, Kobayashi S, Takeuchi S, Nakamura K. Forecasting the seasonal pollen index by using a hidden Markov model combining meteorological and biological factors. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 698:134246. [PMID: 31505344 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 09/01/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The seasonal pollen index (SPI) is a continuing concern within the fields of aerobiology, ecology, botany, and epidemiology. The SPI of anemophilous trees, which varies substantially from year to year, reflects the flowering intensity. This intensity is regulated by two factors: weather conditions during flower formation and the inner resource for assimilation. A deterministic approach has to date been employed for predicting SPI, in which the forecast is made entirely by parameters. However, given the complexity of the masting mechanism (which has intrinsic stochastic properties), few attempts have been made to apply a stochastic model that considers the inter-annual SPI variation as a stochastic process. We propose a hidden Markov model that can integrate the stochastic process of mast flowering and the meteorological conditions influencing flower formation to predict the annual birch pollen concentration. In experiments conducted, the model was trained and validated by using data in Hokkaido, Japan covering 22 years. In the model, the hidden Markov sequence was assigned to represent the recurrence of mast years via a transition matrix, and the observation sequences were designated as meteorological conditions in the previous summer, which are governed by hidden states with emission distribution. The proposed model achieved accuracies of 83.3% in the training period and 75.0% in the test period. Thus, the proposed model can provide an alternative perspective toward the SPI forecast and probabilistic information of pollen levels as a useful reference for allergy stakeholders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Ting Tseng
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwakecho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Shigeto Kawashima
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwakecho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.
| | - Satoshi Kobayashi
- Hokkaido Institute of Public Health, 12 Chome Kita 19 Jonishi, Kita Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0819, Japan
| | - Shinji Takeuchi
- Hokkaido Institute of Public Health, 12 Chome Kita 19 Jonishi, Kita Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0819, Japan
| | - Kimihito Nakamura
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwakecho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
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Oteros J, Sofiev M, Smith M, Clot B, Damialis A, Prank M, Werchan M, Wachter R, Weber A, Kutzora S, Heinze S, Herr CEW, Menzel A, Bergmann KC, Traidl-Hoffmann C, Schmidt-Weber CB, Buters JTM. Building an automatic pollen monitoring network (ePIN): Selection of optimal sites by clustering pollen stations. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 688:1263-1274. [PMID: 31726556 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Airborne pollen is a recognized biological indicator and its monitoring has multiple uses such as providing a tool for allergy diagnosis and prevention. There is a knowledge gap related to the distribution of pollen traps needed to achieve representative biomonitoring in a region. The aim of this manuscript is to suggest a method for setting up a pollen network (monitoring method, monitoring conditions, number and location of samplers etc.). As a case study, we describe the distribution of pollen across Bavaria and the design of the Bavarian pollen monitoring network (ePIN), the first operational automatic pollen network worldwide. We established and ran a dense pollen monitoring network of 27 manual Hirst-type pollen traps across Bavaria, Germany, during 2015. Hierarchical cluster analysis of the data was then performed to select the locations for the sites of the final pollen monitoring network. According to our method, Bavaria can be clustered into three large pollen regions with eight zones. Within each zone, pollen diversity and distribution among different locations does not vary significantly. Based on the pollen zones, we opted to place one automatic monitoring station per zone resulting in the ePIN network, serving 13 million inhabitants. The described method defines stations representative for a homogeneous aeropalynologically region, which reduces redundancy within the network and subsequent costs (in the study case from 27 to 8 locations). Following this method, resources in pollen monitoring networks can be optimized and allergic citizens can then be informed in a timely and effective way, even in larger geographical areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Oteros
- Center of Allergy & Environment (ZAUM), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Technische Universität München/Helmholtz Center, Munich, Germany
| | - Mikhail Sofiev
- Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), Helsinki, Finland
| | - Matt Smith
- School of Science and the Environment, University of Worcester, UK
| | - Bernard Clot
- Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology MeteoSwiss, Payerne, Switzerland
| | - Athanasios Damialis
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, UNIKA-T, Technical University of Munich and Helmholtz Zentrum M., Augsburg, Germany
| | - Marje Prank
- Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), Helsinki, Finland
| | - Matthias Werchan
- Foundation German Pollen Information Service (PID), Berlin, Germany
| | - Reinhard Wachter
- Foundation German Pollen Information Service (PID), Berlin, Germany
| | - Alisa Weber
- Bayerisches Landesamt für Gesundheit und Lebensmittelsicherheit (LGL), Munich, Germany
| | - Susanne Kutzora
- Bayerisches Landesamt für Gesundheit und Lebensmittelsicherheit (LGL), Munich, Germany
| | - Stefanie Heinze
- Bayerisches Landesamt für Gesundheit und Lebensmittelsicherheit (LGL), Munich, Germany
| | - Caroline E W Herr
- Bayerisches Landesamt für Gesundheit und Lebensmittelsicherheit (LGL), Munich, Germany
| | - Annette Menzel
- Technische Universität München, Ecoclimatology, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Freising, Germany; Technische Universität München, Institute for Advanced Study, Garching, Germany
| | | | - Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, UNIKA-T, Technical University of Munich and Helmholtz Zentrum M., Augsburg, Germany; Christine Kühne Center for Allergy Research and Education (CK Care), Davos, Switzerland
| | - Carsten B Schmidt-Weber
- Center of Allergy & Environment (ZAUM), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Technische Universität München/Helmholtz Center, Munich, Germany
| | - Jeroen T M Buters
- Center of Allergy & Environment (ZAUM), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Technische Universität München/Helmholtz Center, Munich, Germany.
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37
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Rojo J, Picornell A, Oteros J. AeRobiology: The computational tool for biological data in the air. Methods Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Rojo
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (Botany) University of Castilla‐La Mancha Toledo Spain
- Center of Allergy & Environment (ZAUM), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL) Technical University of Munich/Helmholtz Center Munich Germany
| | | | - Jose Oteros
- Center of Allergy & Environment (ZAUM), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL) Technical University of Munich/Helmholtz Center Munich Germany
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38
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Brokamp C, Brandt EB, Ryan PH. Assessing exposure to outdoor air pollution for epidemiological studies: Model-based and personal sampling strategies. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2019; 143:2002-2006. [PMID: 31063735 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2019.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Revised: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiologic studies have found air pollution to be causally linked to respiratory health including the exacerbation and development of childhood asthma. Accurately characterizing exposure is paramount in these studies to ensure valid estimates of health effects. Here, we provide a brief overview of the evolution of air pollution exposure assessment ranging from the use of ground-based, single-site air monitoring stations for population-level estimates to recent advances in spatiotemporal models, which use advanced machine learning algorithms and satellite-based data to accurately estimate individual-level daily exposures at high spatial resolutions. In addition, we review recent advances in sensor technology that enable the use of personal monitoring in epidemiologic studies, long-considered the "holy grail" of air pollution exposure assessment. Finally, we highlight key advantages and uses of each approach including the generalizability and public health relevance of air pollution models and the accuracy of personal monitors that are useful to guide personalized prevention strategies. Investigators and clinicians interested in the effects of air pollution on allergic disease and asthma should carefully consider the pros and cons of each approach to guide their application in research and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cole Brokamp
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio; Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Eric B Brandt
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio; Division of Asthma Research, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Patrick H Ryan
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio; Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio.
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Murrison LB, Brandt EB, Myers JB, Hershey GKK. Environmental exposures and mechanisms in allergy and asthma development. J Clin Invest 2019; 129:1504-1515. [PMID: 30741719 DOI: 10.1172/jci124612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 177] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental exposures interplay with human host factors to promote the development and progression of allergic diseases. The worldwide prevalence of allergic disease is rising as a result of complex gene-environment interactions that shape the immune system and host response. Research shows an association between the rise of allergic diseases and increasingly modern Westernized lifestyles, which are characterized by increased urbanization, time spent indoors, and antibiotic usage. These environmental changes result in increased exposure to air and traffic pollution, fungi, infectious agents, tobacco smoke, and other early-life and lifelong risk factors for the development and exacerbation of asthma and allergic diseases. It is increasingly recognized that the timing, load, and route of allergen exposure affect allergic disease phenotypes and development. Still, our ability to prevent allergic diseases is hindered by gaps in understanding of the underlying mechanisms and interaction of environmental, viral, and allergen exposures with immune pathways that impact disease development. This Review highlights epidemiologic and mechanistic evidence linking environmental exposures to the development and exacerbation of allergic airway responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liza Bronner Murrison
- Division of Asthma Research, Cincinnati Children's Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Eric B Brandt
- Division of Asthma Research, Cincinnati Children's Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Jocelyn Biagini Myers
- Division of Asthma Research, Cincinnati Children's Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Gurjit K Khurana Hershey
- Division of Asthma Research, Cincinnati Children's Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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40
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Carlsten C. Artemisia species pollen (mugwort) as a major vector for ambient LPS: Brothers in harm? J Allergy Clin Immunol 2018; 143:94-95. [PMID: 30213626 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2018.08.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chris Carlsten
- Department of Medicine, Respiratory Medicine, Vancouver General Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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