Molecular aerobiology - Plantago allergen Pla l 1 in the atmosphere.

INTRODUCTION: Exposure to airborne pollen from certain plants can cause allergic disease, but allergens can also be found in non-pollen-bearing fractions of ambient air. This may explain why the allergic response in susceptible patients does not always coincide with the presence and magnitude of airborne pollen counts. Plantago pollen is an important cause of pollinosis in northern Mediterranean countries, but it is difficult to determine its incidence in allergies because Plantago pollen appears in the atmosphere at the same time as grass pollen. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to investigate the relationship between the atmospheric concentration of Pla l 1 aeroallergen and Plantago pollen, and its incidence in a population group. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Pollen was sampled using a Hirst-type volumetric trap (Burkard) and Burkard Cyclone sampler (Burkard) for Pla l 1 allergen. Allergen was determined with a Pla l 1-specific ELISA. Serum-specific IgE levels to several plant allergens were measured with the EAST system. RESULTS: The aerobiological dynamics of Plantago pollen grains and Pla l 1 did not follow the same trend, whereas the sum of Plantago with some other pollen types showed a more similar behaviour. Of the 118 subjects tested, sera from 52 contained IgE to Plantago pollen, but only 5 were monosensitized. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of Pla l 1 in the atmosphere depends not only on Plantago pollen but also on the pollen of other species from the Oleaceae family. Knowledge of the behaviour of allergen Pla l 1 in the atmosphere can help understand better asthma exacerbations associated with aeroallergens.

Alternative statistical methods for interpreting airborne Alder (Alnus glutimosa (L.) Gaertner) pollen concentrations.

This paper reports on the behaviour of Alnus glutinosa (alder) pollen grains in the atmosphere of Ponferrada (León, NW Spain) from 1995 to 2006. The study, which sought to determine the effects of various weather-related parameters on Alnus pollen counts, was performed using a volumetric method. The main pollination period for this taxon is January-February. Alder pollen is one of the eight major airborne pollen allergens found in the study area. An analysis was made of the correlation between pollen counts and major weather-related parameters over each period. In general, the strongest positive correlation was with temperature, particularly maximum temperature. During each period, peak pollen counts occurred when the maximum temperature fell within the range 9 degrees C-14 degrees C. Finally, multivariate analysis showed that the parameter exerting the greatest influence was temperature, a finding confirmed by Spearman correlation tests. Principal components analysis suggested that periods with high pollen counts were characterised by high maximum temperature, low rainfall and an absolute humidity of around 6 g m(-3). Use of this type of analysis in conjunction with other methods is essential for obtaining an accurate record of pollen-count variations over a given period.

Lipid transfer proteins in Parietaria judaica L. pollen grains: immunocytochemical localization and function.

Parietariajudaica L. (Urticaceae) pollen is considered one of the most common causes of allergic respiratory symptoms in the Mediterranean area. The localization of lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) in P. judaica mature and hydrated-activated pollen grains was investigated applying a combination of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with immunocytochemical methods. Our results show that the content of LTPs in P. judaica pollen grains changes during the process of hydration. The localization of judaica LTPs in the cytoplasm and in the lipid bodies associated with vacuoles demonstrated that LTPs represent primarily intracellular proteins. On the other hand, exposure of the pollen grains to germination medium induced the release of LTPs from the pollen grain. Thus, LTPs are cytoplasmic proteins that are secreted to become available for pollen-stigma interactions and probably induce the IgE antibody responses in allergic patients.