PMID- 11686424
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20011204
LR  - 20131121
IS  - 1081-1206 (Print)
IS  - 1081-1206 (Linking)
VI  - 87
IP  - 4
DP  - 2001 Oct
TI  - Air pollutants enhance rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms in pollen-allergic 
      individuals.
PG  - 311-8
AB  - BACKGROUND: Little is know about the relation of airborne pollen allergens to 
      nasal and ocular symptoms in combination with air pollutants. OBJECTIVE: The 
      hypothesis was that air pollutants exacerbate allergic symptoms of the nose and 
      eyes during the pollen season. In addition, the use of allergen measurements 
      instead of pollen counts should be tested. METHODS: Fifteen pollen-allergic, 
      nonsmoking subjects with weak reactivity of the airways recorded 
      rhinoconjunctival symptoms and medication every morning and evening throughout 
      the pollen season. Symptoms were compared with air pollutants (nitrogen oxide 
      [NOx], particulate matter smaller than 10 microm, and ozone) and birch and grass 
      pollen counts or, alternatively, to airborne birch and grass allergens determined 
      using ELISA-techniques. A multiple linear regression model was used which 
      controlled for autocorrelation of the residuals of the time series 
      (Cochrane-Orcutt approach). This model was applied to each subject individually, 
      followed by calculations of summary scores for the group. RESULTS: Air pollution 
      levels were moderate, often meeting air quality standards. Effect estimates 
      (increase of score with 10-fold increase of concentration) were NOx = 1.06, P < 
      0.01; ozone = 1.59, P < 0.01; and pollen = 0.48, P < 0.001. Using allergen 
      concentrations instead of pollen counts resulted in similar effect estimates. 
      Using particulate matter smaller than 10 microm instead of NOx gave comparable 
      but less consistent results. CONCLUSIONS: Symptoms were related to moderate 
      levels of pollutants, suggesting that rhinoconjunctival tissue is very sensitive 
      to irritant stimuli during an ongoing allergic inflammation, and that 
      susceptibility toward allergens might be increased in areas with increased levels 
      of air pollutants. Allergen measurements seem equally usable as pollen counts to 
      investigate rhinoconjunctivitis.
FAU - Riediker, M
AU  - Riediker M
AD  - Institute for Hygiene and Applied Physiology, Environmental Hygiene Section, 
      Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich. michael.riediker@alumni.ethz.ch
FAU - Monn, C
AU  - Monn C
FAU - Koller, T
AU  - Koller T
FAU - Stahel, W A
AU  - Stahel WA
FAU - Wuthrich, B
AU  - Wuthrich B
LA  - eng
PT  - Comparative Study
PT  - Journal Article
PL  - United States
TA  - Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol
JT  - Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American 
      College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology
JID - 9503580
RN  - 0 (Air Pollutants)
RN  - 0 (Allergens)
RN  - 0 (Nitrogen Oxides)
RN  - 66H7ZZK23N (Ozone)
SB  - IM
MH  - Adult
MH  - Air Pollutants/*adverse effects
MH  - Allergens/adverse effects/analysis
MH  - Betula/immunology
MH  - Conjunctivitis, Allergic/diagnosis/*etiology
MH  - Environmental Exposure
MH  - Female
MH  - Humans
MH  - Kinetics
MH  - Male
MH  - Nitrogen Oxides/adverse effects
MH  - Ozone/adverse effects
MH  - Poaceae/immunology
MH  - Pollen/*immunology
MH  - Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal/diagnosis/*etiology
EDAT- 2001/11/01 10:00
MHDA- 2002/01/05 10:01
CRDT- 2001/11/01 10:00
PHST- 2001/11/01 10:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2002/01/05 10:01 [medline]
PHST- 2001/11/01 10:00 [entrez]
AID - S1081-1206(10)62246-6 [pii]
AID - 10.1016/S1081-1206(10)62246-6 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2001 Oct;87(4):311-8. doi: 
      10.1016/S1081-1206(10)62246-6.