Sevcan Celenk

Airborne olive pollen counts are not representative of exposure to the major olive allergen Ole e 1

Pollen is routinely monitored, but it is unknown whether pollen counts represent allergen exposure. We therefore simultaneously determined olive pollen and Ole e 1 in ambient air in Córdoba, Spain, and Évora, Portugal, using Hirst‐type traps for pollen and high‐volume cascade impactors for allergen.

Variation of the group 5 grass pollen allergen content of airborne pollen in relation to geographic location and time in season

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.

Monitoring, Modelling and Forecasting of the Pollen Season

The section about monitoring covers the development of phenological networks, remote sensing of the season cycle of the vegetation, the emergence of the science of aerobiology and, more specifically, aeropalynology, pollen sampling instruments, pollen counting techniques, applications of aeropalynology in agriculture and the European Pollen Information System. Three data sources are directly related with aeropalynology: phenological observations, pollen counts and remote sensing of the vegetation activity. The main future challenge is the assimilation of these data streams into numerical pollen forecast systems. Over the last decades consistent monitoring efforts of various national networks have created a wealth of pollen concentration time series. These constitute a nearly untouched treasure, which is still to be exploited to investigate questions concerning pollen emission, transport and deposition. New monitoring methods allow measuring the allergen content in pollen. Results from research on the allergen content in pollen are expected to increase the quality of the operational pollen forecasts.

Airborne pollen grains in Yalova, Turkey, 2004

In this study, airborne pollen grains of Yalova province were investigated using VPSS 2000 from January to December 2004. During studying period, a total of 22409 pollen grains/m3 which belonged to 46 taxa and 74 unidentified pollen grains were recorded. From the identified taxa, 26 belong to arboreal and 20 to non-arboreal plants. Total pollen grains consist of 80.50% arboreal, 19.17% non-arboreal plants and 0.33% unidentified pollen grains. In the investigated region, from arboreal plant taxa Platanus spp. (29.08%), Cupressaceae/Taxaceae (21.22%), Pinus spp. (7.34%), Alnus spp. (4.75%), Castanea spp. (3.03%), Quercus spp. (3.07%), Olea spp. (2.50%), Acer spp. (2.21%), Corylus spp. (1.41%) and Fagus spp. (1.15%), and from non-arboreal plant taxa Poaceae (10.01%), Asteraceae (2.86%), Plantago spp. (1.47%) and Artemisia spp. (1.11%) were responsible for the greatest amounts of pollen.

Some evidence for infrageneric classification in Ziziphora L. (Lamiaceae:Mentheae)

The genus Ziziphora L. (Lamiaceae) consists of annual herbs, except Ziziphora clinopodioides, and is represented by six taxa in the flora of Turkey: Z. clinopodioides, Z. capitata, Z. persica, Z. tenuior, Z. taurica subsp. taurica and Z. taurica subsp. cleonioides. They are strong aromatic herbs and important medicinal plants. This study has been conducted to determine the palynological and karyological features of these taxa. The pollen morphology and exine structure of Ziziphora species were investigated by light microscope and scanning electron microscope. Pollen grains were determined as hexacolpate, medium in size and a circular or elliptic amb. The shape of pollen grains varies from oblate to prolate spheroidal. Ornamentation types of pollen grains are bireticulate, microreticulate or perforate. Somatic chromosome number has been determined and counted as 2n = 16, 18. Results indicate that the pollen characters and chromosome numbers of the genus are valuable for taxonomic applications and may be useful for infrageneric classification.