OBJECTIVETo study the genera and seasonal distribution of airborne pollen in Hubei province of China, and its relationship with pollinosis.

METHODSFrom November 2003 to October 2004, an airborne pollen investigation was performed in 16 chosen areas in 12 cities of Hubei province using gravity sedimentation technique. Meanwhile, univalent skin prick tests of pollens were performed and the invasion season was studied on 2,300 patients with pollinosis. Among them, 352 cases underwent the airway responsiveness measurements, and the correlation between airway responsiveness and results of pollen count was analyzed.

RESULTSA total of 61 pollen genera were observed and 257,520 pollens were collected. The peak of airborne pollen distribution occurred in two seasons each year: spring (March and April) and autumn (from August to October). The attack of pollinosis corresponded to the peak of pollen distribution. There was a significantly negative relationship between the provocation dose causing a 20% decrease of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) from baseline and airborne pollen concentration (r= -0.6829, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThis study provides useful information for airborne pollen epidemiology of Hubei province, and it provides important insights to clinical prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of pollen-related allergic diseases.

Air Pollutants ; immunology ; Allergens ; immunology ; China ; Environmental Monitoring ; Humans ; Pollen ; immunology ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal ; immunology ; Seasons ; Skin Tests

OBJECTIVE: To explore the inhaled and food allergen distribution of patient with allergic rhinitis in north of Zhejiang and to analyze the difference of allergen distribution among different age groups. METHOD: One thousand and forty eight patients in north of Zhejiang diagnosed with allergic rhinitis in our outpatient department were tested with skin prick test (SPT). The positive rate of inhaled and food allergens were calculated. To analysis the difference of positive rate between children and adult. RESULT: Nine hundred and eighty-eight cases (94.3%) had the positive reaction. Dermato phagoides farinae and Dermatophagodies pteronyssinus had the highest positive ratio (72.1%, 71.8%) in inhalation group, followed cockroach (14.1%). In food group, Shrimp and peanuts had the highest positive ratio (18.3%,14.2%). Between children group and adults group, positive rate of food allergen was significantly different (P < 0.05), but of inhaled allergen was not significantly different. CONCLUSION The distribution of some allergens in children group and adults group was variable. The study shows that Dust mite was the mostly responsible common allergen in north of Zhejiang.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Air Pollutants ; immunology ; Allergens ; immunology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Food ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; immunology ; Skin Tests ; Young Adult

We performed this study to assess the prevalence of sensitization to aeroallergens and to analyze the difference between prevalence rates according to children's ages and residential areas. In this nationwide cross-sectional study, first grade students of 45 elementary schools and 40 middle schools were randomly selected, and skin prick tests were performed for 18 inhalant allergens between October and November 2010. Of 7,829 analyzed subjects, 3,753 (47.9%) were sensitized to at least one aeroallergen. Sensitization to Dermatophagoides farinae was found to be the most prevalent in elementary schoolchildren (32.4%), followed by Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Japanese hop, and oak. In middle schoolchildren, D. pteronyssinus yielded the highest prevalence (42.7%), followed by D. farinae, T. putrescentiae, Japanese hop, and cat. In middle schoolchildren, the sensitization rate to aeroallergens in metropolitan, urban, and rural areas was 57.2%, 54.3%, and 49.8%, respectively (P = 0.019). In this age group, the sensitization rate in low, middle, high, and very high income groups was 53.8%, 51.8%, 59.0%, and 59.6%, respectively (P = 0.002). In conclusion, the sensitization rate is 47.9% and house dust mite is the most prevalent allergen in the pediatric population in Korea. The rate is higher in metropolitan areas and the highest income group than in rural areas and low income groups.
Adolescent ; Age Factors ; Air Pollutants/*immunology ; Allergens/*immunology ; Animals ; Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Demography ; Female ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity/*diagnosis/epidemiology/immunology ; Male ; Pyroglyphidae/immunology ; Republic of Korea ; Rural Population ; Sex Factors ; Skin Tests ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Urban Population

Allergic disease caused by airborne pollen is a major health problem in China. Intensive study on pollen allergens can be of great help for preventing and treating pollinosis. Four aspects of the study on pollen allergens in China including major allergic pollen in our country, analysis and purification of pollen allergen composition, recombinant pollen allergens and clinical application of pollen allergens are described in this paper.
Air Pollutants ; adverse effects ; Allergens ; administration & dosage ; immunology ; China ; epidemiology ; Desensitization, Immunologic ; methods ; Humans ; Pollen ; immunology ; Recombinant Proteins ; administration & dosage ; immunology ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal ; epidemiology ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Seasons

Allergic airway diseases are related to exposure to atmospheric pollutants, which have been suggested to be one factor in the increasing prevalence of asthma. Little is known about the effect of ozone and diesel exhaust particulates (DEP) on the development or aggravation of asthma. We have used a mouse asthma model to determine the effect of ozone and DEP on airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation. Methacholine enhanced pause (P(enh)) was measured. Levels of IL-4 and IFN-gamma were quantified in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids by enzyme immunoassays. The OVA-sensitized-challenged and ozone and DEP exposure group had higher P(enh) than the OVA-sensitized-challenged group and the OVA-sensitized-challenged and DEP exposure group, and the OVA-sensitized-challenged and ozone exposure group. Levels of IFN-gamma were decreased in the OVA-sensitized-challenged and DEP exposure group and the OVA-sensitized-challenged and ozone and DEP exposure group compared to the OVA-sensitized-challenged and ozone exposure group. Levels of IL-4 were increased in the OVA-sensitized-challenged and ozone exposure group and the OVA-sensitized-challenged and DEP exposure group, and the OVA-sensitized-challenged and ozone and DEP exposure group compared to OVA-sensitized-challenged group. Co-exposure of ozone and DEP has additive effect on airway hyperresponsiveness by modulation of IL-4 and IFN-gamma suggesting that DEP amplify Th2 immune response.
Air Pollutants, Environmental/toxicity ; Animals ; Asthma/*chemically induced/*immunology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drug Combinations ; Drug Synergism ; Female ; Hypersensitivity/complications/*etiology/*immunology ; Interferon Type II/immunology ; Interleukin-4/immunology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Ovalbumin ; Ozone/*toxicity ; Pneumonia/*chemically induced/complications/*immunology ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Respiratory Hypersensitivity/chemically induced/complications/immunology ; Vehicle Emissions/*toxicity

Air pollution, climate change, and reduced biodiversity are major threats to human health with detrimental effects on a variety of chronic noncommunicable diseases in particular respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. The extent of air pollution both outdoor and indoor air pollution and climate change including global warming is increasing-to alarming proportions particularly in the developing world especially rapidly industrializing countries worldwide. In recent years, Asia has experienced rapid economic growth and a deteriorating environment and increase in allergic diseases to epidemic proportions. Air pollutant levels in many Asian countries especially in China and India are substantially higher than are those in developed countries. Moreover, industrial, traffic-related, and household biomass combustion, indoor pollutants from chemicals and tobacco are major sources of air pollutants, with increasing burden on respiratory allergies. Here we highlight the major components of outdoor and indoor air pollutants and their impacts on respiratory allergies associated with asthma and allergic rhinitis in the Asia-Pacific region. With Asia-Pacific comprising more than half of the world's population there is an urgent need to increase public awareness, highlight targets for interventions, public advocacy and a call to action to policy makers to implement policy changes towards reducing air pollution with interventions at a population-based level.
Administrative Personnel ; Air Pollutants ; Air Pollution ; Air Pollution, Indoor ; Allergy and Immunology ; Asia ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Asthma ; Biodiversity ; Biomass ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; China ; Climate Change ; Climate ; Consumer Advocacy ; Developed Countries ; Economic Development ; Family Characteristics ; Global Warming ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; India ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; Tobacco

OBJECTIVEThe role of air pollution on asthma can not be ignored, diesel exhaust particles (DEP) in the air is one of the most important pollutants. This study aimed to investigate the effect and mechanism of DEP inhaled on immediate reaction in the asthma rats.

METHODSixty male Wistar rats of "Clean" grade, 6 - 7 week-old, with an average weight of (140 +/- 20) g were used in this study. The rats were randomly divided into 6 groups, 10 in each. Group A was treated with normal saline attack as a negative control, Group B with ovalbumin attack as a positive control. After ovalbumin attack, groups C, D, E, F continued to inhale DEP for 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks and 4 weeks, respectively. The concentration of DEP was 200 microg/ml, the animals were subjected to inhalation of ultrasound nebulized DEP for 30 min per day. One week after all the attacks were concluded, Group A was stimulated with normal saline for 30 min, other groups were stimulated with ovalbumin. Then the airway resistance was determined with multi-channel signal acquisition and processing system and compared. The changes in neutrophils, eosinophils, and other inflammatory cells of BALF and the pathological changes in lung tissue, including epithelial cells loss, the inflammatory cells infiltration around the airway, basement membrane fibrosis, goblet cell hyperplasia etc. were observed. The concentration of IL-5 and gamma-interferon in the lung tissues, and the changes of serum IgE etc. were determined.

RESULTAirway resistance values of group A, B, C, D, E, F after ovalbumin excitation for 30 min were (3.56 +/- 0.21), (7.06 +/- 0.63), (6.46 +/- 0.38), (7.47 +/- 0.33), (8.87 +/- 0.61), (11.00 +/- 0.69) cm H2O/(ml.s). No airway hyperresponsiveness occurred in group A, while Groups B, C, D, E, F had higher airway resistance than group A, group E and F had higher airway resistance than that of group B, the differences were statistically significant. And the airway resistance was different in each group among 0 min, 10 min, 20 min and 30 min (F = 160.646, 148.901, 162.204, 156.186, P < 0.01 for both). The time of DEP inhalation and the airway resistance was positively correlated (r = 0.948, P < 0.01); IgE concentrations of the serum between groups B, C, D, E, F was not significantly different (P > 0.05), but higher than that of group A (F = 2.639, P < 0.01). The infiltrated inflammatory cells included eosinophils and lymphocytes, etc. The percentages of neutrophil(%) were (4.3 +/- 2.0), (9.7 +/- 5.2), (10.3 +/- 5.6), (13.0 +/- 5.2), (42.6 +/- 18.3), (55.3 +/- 6.9). The groups E and F had higher percentage than Group A and Group B (F = 114.226, P < 0.01). The percentages of eosinophils(%) were 0, (11.9 +/- 3.8), (15.8 +/- 6.3), (13.0 +/- 4.9), (21.1 +/- 5.6), (27.1 +/- 4.8). The difference between Groups B, C, D, E, F and Group A was statistically significant. There was significant difference between groups C, D, E, F and group B (F = 46.462, P < 0.05); Lung tissue biopsy in group A showed that the epithelial cells were intact, no inflammatory cells infiltrations were found around the airways, instead, mainly ciliated columnar epithelial cells and only a small number of goblet cells were seen without basement membrane fibrosis. With the inhalation of DEP, the epithelial cells showed gradual necrosis, disruption and loss, goblet cells showed hyperplasia, and infiltrations with inflammatory cells were seen around the airway. In the lung tissue, concentrations of IL-5 in group B, C, and E were (12.8 +/- 2.8), (17.1 +/- 5.2), (18.6 +/- 4.2) pg/mg, the difference between groups C, E and group B was statistically significant (F = 4.236, P < 0.01), the difference in gamma-interferon concentration among all groups was not statistically significance (F = 1.185, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONDEP inhalation increased the airway responsiveness of asthma rats in immediate reaction, promoted the lung epithelial cell loss, inflammatory cell infiltration, basement membrane fibrosis and goblet cell hyperplasia.

Air Pollutants ; adverse effects ; Airway Resistance ; Animals ; Asthma ; immunology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Hypersensitivity, Immediate ; etiology ; Immunoglobulin E ; blood ; Interferon-gamma ; metabolism ; Interleukin-5 ; metabolism ; Lung ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Vehicle Emissions

BACKGROUND: Plastic resins are complex chemicals that contain toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and/or trimellitic anhydride (TMA), which cause occupational allergies (OA), including respiratory allergies. Serum IgGs against TDI and TMA have been suggested as potential markers of the exposure status and as exploring cause of OA. Although TDI-specific IgG has been examined for suspected OA, TMA-specific IgG is not commonly evaluated in a urethane foam factory. This study therefore investigated both TDI- and TMA-specific IgGs in suspected OA patients and to evaluate the usefulness of the measurement of multiple chemical-specific IgG measurement for practical monitoring. METHODS: Blood samples were collected from two male workers who developed respiratory allergies supposedly caused by occupational exposure to TDI and/or TMA for the presence of TDI- and TMA-specific IgGs. In addition, blood samples from 75 male workers from a urethane foam factory, along with 87 male control subjects, were collected in 2014 and tested for the same IgGs in 2014. The presence and levels of TDI- and TMA-specific serum IgGs were measured using dot blot assays. RESULTS: We found that controls had mean concentrations of TDI- and TMA-specific IgGs of 0.98 and 2.10 μg/mL, respectively. In the two workers with respiratory allergies, the TDI-specific IgG concentrations were 15.6 and 9.51 μg/mL, and TMA-specific IgG concentrations were 4.56 and 14.4 μg/mL, which are clearly higher than those in controls. Mean concentrations of TDI- and TMA-specific IgGs in the factory workers were 1.89 and 2.41 μg/mL, respectively, and are significantly higher than those of the controls (P < 0.001 and P < 0.026 for TDI- and TMA-specific IgGs, respectively). CONCLUSION The workers suspected of OA showed an evidently high level of TDI- and TMA-specific IgG, and these levels in workers at the urethane foam factory were also significantly higher than those in controls. In conclusion, the measurement of TDI- and TMA-specific IgG among workers using plastic resins is helpful to monitor their exposure status.
Adult ; Air Pollutants, Occupational ; adverse effects ; immunology ; Environmental Monitoring ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; immunology ; Japan ; Male ; Manufacturing and Industrial Facilities ; statistics & numerical data ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Diseases ; blood ; chemically induced ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; statistics & numerical data ; Phthalic Anhydrides ; immunology ; toxicity ; Respiratory Hypersensitivity ; blood ; chemically induced ; Toluene 2,4-Diisocyanate ; immunology ; toxicity ; Workforce