Seasonal variation of birch and grass pollen loads and allergen release at two sites in the German Alps

Jochner, Susanne; Lüpke, Marvin; Laube, Julia; Weichenmeier, I.; Pusch, Gudrun; Traidl‐Hoffmann, Claudia; Schmidt‐Weber, Carsten B.; Buters, Jeroen; Menzel, Annette

doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2015.08.031

Cited by 37 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 29 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The grass source causes more concerns due to its fixed season timing. However, the missing variability is small compare to the length of the season: start is usually within 5 days from its mean date, which is just 5–10% of the typical season duration (Emberlin et al 1999 ; Jochner et al 2015 ; Kasprzyk 2006 ; Rodríguez-Rajo et al 2009 ; Ribeiro et al 2007 ; Sikoparija et al 2006 , etc.). This is in sharp contrast to birch, which timing can deviate for a week or two from the long-term average (Chmielewski and Rötzer 2002 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On impact of transport conditions on variability of the seasonal pollen index

Sofiev

2016

Aerobiologia

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This discussion paper reveals the contribution of pollen transport conditions to the interannual variability of the seasonal pollen index (SPI). This contribution is quantified as a sensitivity of the pollen model predictions to meteorological variability and is shown to be a noticeable addition to the SPI variability caused by plant reproduction cycles. A specially designed SILAM model re-analysis of pollen seasons 1980-2014 was performed, resulting in the 35 years of the SPI predictions over Europe, which was used to compute the SPI inter-annual variability. The current paper presents the results for birch and grass. Throughout the re-analysis, the source term formulations and habitation maps were kept constant, which allowed attributing the obtained variability exclusively to the pollen release and transport conditions during the flowering seasons. It is shown that the effect is substantial: it amounts to 10-20% (grass) and 20-40% (birch) of the observed SPI year-to-year changes reported in the literature. The phenomenon has well-pronounced spatial-and species-specific patterns. The findings were compared with observation-based statistical models for the SPI prediction, showing that such models highlight the same processes as the analysis with the SILAM model.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On impact of transport conditions on variability of the seasonal pollen index

Sofiev

2016

Aerobiologia

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The data (with a spatial resolution 1 × 1 degree) used to calculate the back-trajectories come from the operational systems GDAS (Global Data Assimilation System; http://www.arl.noaa.gov), which are often used to study the movement of the air masses. More details regarding the HYSPLIT model can be found, among others, in Fernández-Rodríguez et al (2014; 2015), Hernández-Ceballos et al (2014b), Jochner et al (2015). …”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The long-range transport of Pinaceae pollen: an example in Kraków (southern Poland)

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

High Pinaceae pollen concentrations in the air and on the surface of puddles before the main pollen season started were observed in Kraków (southern Poland) in May 2013. The paper presents the results of detailed studies of the composition and source of the “yellow rain” in 2013, and as a comparison, the Pinaceae pollen concentrations and samples collected from the ground surface in 2014 were considered. The air samples were collected using the volumetric method (Hirst-type device), while pollen grains sampled from the ground surface were processed using a modified Erdtman acetolysis method. Finally, all samples were studied using a light microscope. In 2013, the period of higher Abies, Picea and Pinus pollen concentrations was observed from the 5 to 12 of May, earlier than the main pollen season occurred. The presence of rainfall on the 12 and 13 of May 2013 caused the pollen deposition on the ground surface, where the prevalence of Pinaceae pollen was found. The synoptic situation and the analysis of the back-trajectories and air mass advection at the beginning of May 2013 indicated that Pinaceae pollen grains could have been transported from Ukraine, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia. In contrast, Pinaceae pollen grains deposited on the ground surface as a “yellow” film in May 2014, originated from local sources.

show abstract

“…As Bet v 1 content of ambient air can differ from birch pollen count 12,13,18 , allergic symptoms might perhaps correlate better with allergen level than with pollen count 14,18 . Hence, the presented method in conjunction with clinical data enables to examine in future experiments whether allergic reactions to birch correspond to the Bet v 1 allergen load of PM10 >0.5 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Flow Cytometric Analysis of Particle-bound Bet v 1 Allergen in PM10

Süring

Bach

Höflich

et al. 2016

JoVE

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Flow cytometry is a method widely used to quantify suspended solids such as cells or bacteria in a size range from 0.5 to several tens of micrometers in diameter. In addition to a characterization of forward and sideward scatter properties, it enables the use of fluorescent labeled markers like antibodies to detect respective structures. Using indirect antibody staining, flow cytometry is employed here to quantify birch pollen allergen (precisely Bet v 1)-loaded particles of 0.5 to 10 µm in diameter in inhalable particulate matter (PM10, particle size ≤10 µm in diameter). PM10 particles may act as carriers of adsorbed allergens possibly transporting them to the lower respiratory tract, where they could trigger allergic reactions.So far the allergen content of PM10 has been studied by means of enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and scanning electron microscopy. ELISA measures the dissolved and not the particle-bound allergen. Compared to scanning electron microscopy, which can visualize allergen-loaded particles, flow cytometry may additionally quantify them. As allergen content of ambient air can deviate from birch pollen count, allergic symptoms might perhaps correlate better with allergen exposure than with pollen count. In conjunction with clinical data, the presented method offers the opportunity to test in future experiments whether allergic reactions to birch pollen antigens are associated with the Bet v 1 allergen content of PM10 particles >0.5 µm.

show abstract

Seasonal variation of birch and grass pollen loads and allergen release at two sites in the German Alps

Cited by 37 publications

References 29 publications

On impact of transport conditions on variability of the seasonal pollen index

On impact of transport conditions on variability of the seasonal pollen index

The long-range transport of Pinaceae pollen: an example in Kraków (southern Poland)

Flow Cytometric Analysis of Particle-bound Bet v 1 Allergen in PM10

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About