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Pollen and Fungal Spores Evaluation in Relation to Occupants and Microclimate in Indoor Workplaces. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13063154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Indoor air quality depends on many internal or external factors mutually interacting in a dynamic and complex system, which also includes indoor workplaces, where subjects are exposed to many pollutants, including biocontaminants such as pollen and fungal spores. In this context, the occupants interact actively with their environment through actions, modifying indoor environmental conditions to achieve their own thermal comfort. Actions such as opening/closing doors and windows and turning on/off air conditioning could have effects on workers’ health. The present study explored the contribution of human occupants to pollen and fungal spore levels in indoor workplaces, combining aerobiological, microclimate, and worker monitoring during summer and winter campaigns. We evaluated the overall time spent by the workers in the office, the workers’ actions regarding non-working days and working days, and non-working hours and working hours, during two campaigns of pollen and fungal spore monitoring. Our results showed that the biocontaminant values depend on many mutually interacting factors; hence, the role of all of the factors involved should be investigated. In this regard, aerobiological monitoring should be a valid tool for the management of occupational allergies, providing additional information to improve occupational health protection strategies.
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Sierra-Heredia C, North M, Brook J, Daly C, Ellis AK, Henderson D, Henderson SB, Lavigne É, Takaro TK. Aeroallergens in Canada: Distribution, Public Health Impacts, and Opportunities for Prevention. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018; 15:E1577. [PMID: 30044421 PMCID: PMC6121311 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15081577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Revised: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Aeroallergens occur naturally in the environment and are widely dispersed across Canada, yet their public health implications are not well-understood. This review intends to provide a scientific and public health-oriented perspective on aeroallergens in Canada: their distribution, health impacts, and new developments including the effects of climate change and the potential role of aeroallergens in the development of allergies and asthma. The review also describes anthropogenic effects on plant distribution and diversity, and how aeroallergens interact with other environmental elements, such as air pollution and weather events. Increased understanding of the relationships between aeroallergens and health will enhance our ability to provide accurate information, improve preventive measures and provide timely treatments for affected populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michelle North
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3H7, Canada.
- Department of Biomedical & Molecular Sciences and Division of Allergy & Immunology, Department of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada.
- Allergy Research Unit, Kingston General Hospital, Kingston, ON K7L 2V7, Canada.
| | - Jeff Brook
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M3H 5T4, Canada.
| | - Christina Daly
- Air Quality Health Index, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9, Canada.
| | - Anne K Ellis
- Department of Biomedical & Molecular Sciences and Division of Allergy & Immunology, Department of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada.
- Allergy Research Unit, Kingston General Hospital, Kingston, ON K7L 2V7, Canada.
| | - Dave Henderson
- Health and Air Quality Services, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Gatineau, QC K1A 0H3, Canada.
| | - Sarah B Henderson
- Environmental Health Services, BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4R4, Canada.
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.
| | - Éric Lavigne
- Air Health Science Division, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9, Canada.
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1G 5Z3, Canada.
| | - Tim K Takaro
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.
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Garmatiuk T, Swoboda I, Twardosz-Kropfmüller A, Dall'Antonia F, Keller W, Singh MB, Bhalla PL, Okada T, Toriyama K, Weber M, Ghannadan M, Sperr WR, Blatt K, Valent P, Klein B, Niederberger V, Curin M, Balic N, Spitzauer S, Valenta R. Characterization of mutants of a highly cross-reactive calcium-binding protein from Brassica pollen for allergen-specific immunotherapy. Immunobiology 2013; 218:1155-1165. [PMID: 23790497 DOI: 10.1016/j.imbio.2013.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2013] [Accepted: 04/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The major turnip (Brassica rapa) pollen allergen, belongs to a family of calcium-binding proteins (i.e., two EF-hand proteins), which occur as highly cross-reactive allergens in pollen of weeds, grasses and trees. In this study, the IgE binding capacity and allergenic activity of three recombinant allergen variants containing mutations in their calcium-binding sites were analyzed in sensitized patients with the aim to identify the most suitable hypoallergenic molecule for specific immunotherapy. Analysis of the wildtype allergen and the mutants regarding IgE reactivity and activation of basophils in allergic patients indicated that the allergen derivative mutated in both calcium-binding domains had the lowest allergenic activity. Gel filtration and circular dichroism experiments showed that both, the wildtype and the double mutant, occurred as dimers in solution and assumed alpha-helical fold, respectively. However, both fold and thermal stability were considerably reduced in the double mutant. The use of bioinformatic tools for evaluation of the solvent accessibility and charge distribution suggested that the reduced IgE reactivity and different structural properties of the double mutant may be due to a loss of negatively charged amino acids on the surface. Interestingly, immunization of rabbits showed that only the double mutant but not the wildtype allergen induced IgG antibodies which recognized the allergen and blocked binding of allergic patients IgE. Due to the extensive structural similarity and cross-reactivity between calcium-binding pollen allergens the hypoallergenic double mutant may be useful not only for immunotherapy of turnip pollen allergy, but also for the treatment of allergies to other two EF-hand pollen allergens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetiana Garmatiuk
- Division of Immunopathology, Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Christian Doppler Laboratory for Allergy Research, Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ines Swoboda
- Division of Immunopathology, Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Christian Doppler Laboratory for Allergy Research, Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Twardosz-Kropfmüller
- Division of Immunopathology, Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Fabio Dall'Antonia
- Division of Structural Biology, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Karl-Franzens-University Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Walter Keller
- Division of Structural Biology, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Karl-Franzens-University Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Mohan B Singh
- Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Laboratory, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Legume Research, Faculty of Land and Food Resources, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Prem L Bhalla
- Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Laboratory, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Legume Research, Faculty of Land and Food Resources, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Takashi Okada
- Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Laboratory, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Legume Research, Faculty of Land and Food Resources, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Kinya Toriyama
- Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Milena Weber
- Division of Immunopathology, Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Minoo Ghannadan
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Division of Hematology and Hemostaseology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang R Sperr
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Division of Hematology and Hemostaseology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katharina Blatt
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Division of Hematology and Hemostaseology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Valent
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Division of Hematology and Hemostaseology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Brigitte Klein
- Division of Immunopathology, Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Verena Niederberger
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mirela Curin
- Division of Immunopathology, Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Christian Doppler Laboratory for Allergy Research, Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nadja Balic
- Institute of Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Susanne Spitzauer
- Institute of Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rudolf Valenta
- Division of Immunopathology, Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Christian Doppler Laboratory for Allergy Research, Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Mridula PA, Mahesh PA, Abraham JN, Amrutha DH, Agashe SN, Sitesh R, Vedanthan PK. Dolichandrone platycalyx: New entomophilous pollen--A report on pollen sensitization in allergic individuals. Am J Rhinol Allergy 2011; 25:e34-8. [PMID: 21711973 DOI: 10.2500/ajra.2011.25.3579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dolichandrone platycalyx, commonly known as Nile trumpet tree, is believed to have originated in East Africa. However, this and the variants of this tree are found in Europe, Asia, and America (California and Florida). The tree mostly grows in tropical climates, but temperate species are also found. This study was designed to evaluate the allergenicity of D. platycalyx, one of the most common entomophilous avenue trees in Karnataka state, and to determine the pollen production of D. platycalyx. METHODS All of the patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma attending a tertiary care center in South India during August 2007 to March 2008 underwent a detailed clinical evaluation and skin-prick testing to common allergens along with D. platycalyx. Control subjects without any symptoms of respiratory allergy also underwent skin testing. The pollen counts were determined for a mature unopened flower of D. platycalyx. RESULTS A total of 317 subjects with respiratory allergy and 30 controls were included in the study. A significant percentage (16.1%) of patients evaluated were observed to be sensitive to Dolichandrone pollen extract by skin-prick testing, whereas none of the control subjects were found to be sensitized. D. platycalyx was the fourth most common sensitizer after Parthenium hysterophorus, Prosopis juliflora, and Artemesia vulgaris. D. platycalyx was found to be a moderate pollen producer at 66,000 pollens/flower. CONCLUSION Sensitization to D. platycalyx is common in subjects with respiratory allergies. The clinical relevance of this sensitization and other entomophilous plants needs additional study.
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Affiliation(s)
- P A Mridula
- Department of Allergy, Allergy Asthma Associates, Mysore, Karnataka, India
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