Jeroen Buters1, Marje Prank2, Mikhail Sofiev2, Gudrun Pusch3, Roberto Albertini4, Isabella Annesi-Maesano5, Celia Antunes6, Heidrun Behrendt3, Uwe Berger7, Rui Brandao8, Sevcan Celenk9, Carmen Galan10, Łukasz Grewling11, Bogdan Jackowiak11, Roy Kennedy12, Auli Rantio-Lehtimäki13, Gerald Reese14, Ingrida Sauliene15, Matt Smith7, Michel Thibaudon16, Bernhard Weber14, Lorenzo Cecchi17. 1. ZAUM-Center of Allergy & Environment, Helmholtz Center Munich/Technische Universität München, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany; Kühne Foundation, Christine Kühne-Center for Allergy Research and Education (CK-CARE), Munich, Germany. Electronic address: buters@tum.de. 2. Finnish Meteorological Institute, Erik Palmenin Aukio 1, Helsinki, Finland. 3. ZAUM-Center of Allergy & Environment, Helmholtz Center Munich/Technische Universität München, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany; Kühne Foundation, Christine Kühne-Center for Allergy Research and Education (CK-CARE), Munich, Germany. 4. Laboratory of Allergology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Parma, U.O. Medical Immunology, University Hospital of Parma, Parma, Italy. 5. EPAR Department, INSERM, UMR_S1136, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, France; EPAR Department, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR_S 1136, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Paris, France. 6. ICAAM-Institute of Mediterranean Crop and Environmental Sciences, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal; Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. 7. Medical University of Vienna, Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Research Unit Aerobiology and Pollen Information, Vienna, Austria. 8. ICAAM-Institute of Mediterranean Crop and Environmental Sciences, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal. 9. Aerobiology Laboratory, Biology Department, Science and Arts Faculty, Uludag University, Gorukle-Bursa, Turkey. 10. Department of Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology, University of Córdoba, International Campus of Excellence on Agrifood (ceiA3), Córdoba, Spain. 11. Laboratory of Aeropalynology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland. 12. National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit, University of Worcester, Worcester, United Kingdom. 13. University of Turku, CERUT, Aerobiology Unit, Turku, Finland. 14. Allergopharma GmbH & Co KG, Reinbek, Germany. 15. Department of Environmental Research, Siauliai University, Siauliai, Lithuania. 16. RNSA (Réseau National de Surveillance Aérobiologique), Brussieu, France. 17. Interdepartmental Centre of Bioclimatology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Allergies to grass pollen are the number one cause of outdoor hay fever. The human immune system reacts with symptoms to allergen from pollen. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the natural variability in release of the major group 5 allergen from grass pollen across Europe. METHODS: Airborne pollen and allergens were simultaneously collected daily with a volumetric spore trap and a high-volume cascade impactor at 10 sites across Europe for 3 consecutive years. Group 5 allergen levels were determined with a Phl p 5-specific ELISA in 2 fractions of ambient air: particulate matter of greater than 10 μm in diameter and particulate matter greater than 2.5 μm and less than 10 μm in diameter. Mediator release by ambient air was determined in FcεRI-humanized basophils. The origin of pollen was modeled and condensed to pollen potency maps. RESULTS: On average, grass pollen released 2.3 pg of Phl p 5 per pollen. Allergen release per pollen (potency) varied substantially, ranging from less than 1 to 9 pg of Phl p 5 per pollen (5% to 95% percentile). The main variation was locally day to day. Average potency maps across Europe varied between years. Mediator release from basophilic granulocytes correlated better with allergen levels per cubic meter (r(2) = 0.80, P < .001) than with pollen grains per cubic meter (r(2) = 0.61, P < .001). In addition, pollen released different amounts of allergen in the non-pollen-bearing fraction of ambient air, depending on humidity. CONCLUSION: Across Europe, the same amount of pollen released substantially different amounts of group 5 grass pollen allergen. This variation in allergen release is in addition to variations in pollen counts. Molecular aerobiology (ie, determining allergen in ambient air) might be a valuable addition to pollen counting.
BACKGROUND:Allergies to grass pollen are the number one cause of outdoor hay fever. The human immune system reacts with symptoms to allergen from pollen. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the natural variability in release of the major group 5 allergen from grass pollen across Europe. METHODS: Airborne pollen and allergens were simultaneously collected daily with a volumetric spore trap and a high-volume cascade impactor at 10 sites across Europe for 3 consecutive years. Group 5 allergen levels were determined with a Phl p 5-specific ELISA in 2 fractions of ambient air: particulate matter of greater than 10 μm in diameter and particulate matter greater than 2.5 μm and less than 10 μm in diameter. Mediator release by ambient air was determined in FcεRI-humanized basophils. The origin of pollen was modeled and condensed to pollen potency maps. RESULTS: On average, grass pollen released 2.3 pg of Phl p 5 per pollen. Allergen release per pollen (potency) varied substantially, ranging from less than 1 to 9 pg of Phl p 5 per pollen (5% to 95% percentile). The main variation was locally day to day. Average potency maps across Europe varied between years. Mediator release from basophilic granulocytes correlated better with allergen levels per cubic meter (r(2) = 0.80, P < .001) than with pollen grains per cubic meter (r(2) = 0.61, P < .001). In addition, pollen released different amounts of allergen in the non-pollen-bearing fraction of ambient air, depending on humidity. CONCLUSION: Across Europe, the same amount of pollen released substantially different amounts of group 5 grass pollen allergen. This variation in allergen release is in addition to variations in pollen counts. Molecular aerobiology (ie, determining allergen in ambient air) might be a valuable addition to pollen counting.
Authors: Nur Sabrina Idrose; Caroline J Lodge; Bircan Erbas; Jo A Douglass; Dinh S Bui; Shyamali C Dharmage Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-06-20 Impact factor: 4.614
Authors: Leszek J Klimczak; Cordula Ebner von Eschenbach; Peter M Thompson; Jeroen T M Buters; Geoffrey A Mueller Journal: Atmos Environ (1994) Date: 2020-07-06 Impact factor: 4.798
Authors: Andrea Obersteiner; Stefanie Gilles; Ulrike Frank; Isabelle Beck; Franziska Häring; Dietrich Ernst; Michael Rothballer; Anton Hartmann; Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann; Michael Schmid Journal: PLoS One Date: 2016-02-24 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Rachel N McInnes; Deborah Hemming; Peter Burgess; Donna Lyndsay; Nicholas J Osborne; Carsten Ambelas Skjøth; Sam Thomas; Sotiris Vardoulakis Journal: Sci Total Environ Date: 2017-05-05 Impact factor: 7.963