Allergenic pollens in south-east Spain

Annual and intradiurnal variation of dominant airborne pollen and the effects of meteorological factors in Çeşme (Izmir, Turkey)

In this present study, airborne pollen in Çeşme was investigated between February 17, 2012 and February 17, 2014 using the volumetric method. Çeşme, one of Turkey's most important tourism centers, which attracts numerous local and foreign tourists each year, is a district of Izmir, a province in the western part of Turkey. During the 2-year study, 12,905 pollen grains belonging to 64 taxa (33 arboreal, 31 non-arboreal plants) were detected. However, the 2-year data results revealed that the taxa with the pollen concentration more than 4% in the atmosphere were Cupressaceae/Taxaceae (4268 pollen, 33.07%), Olea europaea (1614 pollen grains, 12.51%), Pinaceae (1085 pollen grains, 8.41%), Quercus spp. (1081 pollen grains, 8.38%), Pistacia spp. (743 pollen grains, 5.76%), and Poaceae (557 pollen grains, 4.32%), all of which comprised 72.44% of the total count. The relationship between the daily pollen counts belonging to these six taxa and the hourly average temperature (°C), daily precipitation (mm), relative humidity (%), and wind speed (km/h) was assessed using the Spearman correlation test, and significant results were determined. During the study, the intradiurnal distribution of the aforementioned pollen varied. The highest pollen concentration was detected between 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. (first year 30.3%; second year 30.1%).

Allergenic pollen records (15 years) and sensitization in patients with respiratory allergy in Thessaloniki, Greece

BACKGROUND

Very limited allergenic pollen records exist in Greece so far; moreover, there is a lack of investigation on patient sensitization. The above data are necessary for respiratory allergy diagnosis and treatment worldwide.

METHODOLOGY

Daily records and identification of 16 airborne pollen species were made using a Burkard trap (1987-2001). Skin sensitivity to 13 most common pollen extracts was investigated, in a sample of 1311 asthmatics with atopy, admitted to the Out-Patient Clinic for Asthma (1990-2001). Skin sensitivity to 55 allergens, including 13 pollen extracts, was detected by skin prick test.

RESULTS

The following pollen concentrations were recorded: cypress (24.9% of the total), oak (20.8%), wall pellitory (13.6%), olive (9.1%), pine (8.9%), grasses (6.3%), plane (5.4%), hazel (3%), goosefoot (2.5%) and poplar (1.4%). The respective percentages of birch, ragweed, mugwort, willow, alder and elm were lower than 1%. The highest counts of airborne pollen grains were detected from March to June. Regarding patient sensitization, sensitivity was detected to: grasses in 530 patients (40.4%), olive 417 (31.8%), goosefoot 240 (18.3%), wall pellitory 201 (15.3%), mugwort 198 (15.1%), plantain 194 (14.6%), cypress 166 (12.7%), hazel 126 (9.6%), pine 122 (9.3%), poplar 111 (8.4%), plane 107 (8,2%), oak 99 (7.6%) and to birch 89 patients (6.8%). The sensitivity to pollen grains displays preponderance (57.9%) to males.

CONCLUSIONS

For the first time in Thessaloniki, Greece, 15-year allergenic pollen records were conducted. Clinical observations confirm that the pollen mainly implicated in respiratory allergy symptoms are grasses, olive and wall pellitory.