Sensitivity to pollen

Patients sensitized to pollen allergens often develop an IgE response to cross-reactive food allergens. Birch pollen-related food may lead to an exacerbation of eczema in a subpopulation of patients with atopic dermatitis and sensitization to birch pollen allergens. A birch pollen-specific T-cell response could be detected in lesional skin of these responding patients. T-cell cross-reactivity between Bet v 1 and related food allergens can occur independently of IgE cross-reactivity in vitro and in vivo. This has been shown in atopic dermatitis patients who developed late eczematous skin reactions to cooked food which was shown to elicit T-cell but not IgE-mediated responses [11]. 

The large body of epidemiological studies have clearly shown that allergic rhinitis and asthma are frequent diseases, and that both diseases obviously still increase in prevalence [4, 5]. However, without any doubt, there is a direct link between rhinitis and asthma. Several studies in a large number of patients have clearly shown that rhinitis sufferers have a 3- to 7-fold increased risk to also develop asthma within 7 years compared to normal controls. Most of this development actually lies in the early years of childhood, as was recently shown in the MAS and PAT studies [6, 7], In the first study, 5-year-old children sensitized to pollen with allergic rhinitis symptoms developed asthma within 2 years... 

Harmanci E, Metintas E. The type of sensitization to pollens in allergic patients in Eskisehir (Anatolia), Tnrkey. AUergol Immnnopathol (Madr) 2000 28(2) 63-6. 

Other compounds are used, however sulphates are avoided (e.g. as in MgS04) and nitrates (e.g. as in CaNOs) due to the risk of forming more acids that make the pH hard to control. For some pollen, this makes little difference but other species are more sensitive to changes in pH. 

Agata, H., N. Kondo, A. Yomo, et al. Sensitization to sugar cane pollen in Okinawan allergic children. Asian Pacific J Allergy Immunol 1994 12(2) 151-154. 

In a mouse model of aerosol sensitization to birch pollen we previously demonstrated that intranasal as well as oral administration of the major birch pollen allergen Bet v 1 prevented allergic sensitization, airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness [28], Similar effects were achieved using hypoallergenic derivates of Bet v 1, containing the immunodominant T cell peptides but not the anaphylactogenic B cell epitopes, for intranasal tolerance induction [60],... 

Based on the fact that many allergic patients are sensitized to several unrelated allergens, tolerance induction with a panel of simultaneously applied allergens is a desirable goal. We have established a model of polysensitization to major allergens of birch and grass pollen. Intranasal tolerance with a mixture of the immunodominant peptides of the three allergens led to a marked decrease of humoral and cellular Th2-like immune responses [67], Production of hybrid... 

Ariano R, Panzani RC, Chiapella M, Augeri G, Falagiani P Local intranasal immunotherapy with allergen in powder in atopic patients sensitive to Parietaria officinalis pollen. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol 1995 5 126-132. 

Median levels of sIL-2R were significantly higher before SLIT (596.7U/ml 1 year s SLIT 371.4 U/ml 2 years SLIT 345.6U/ml). Also, in all single allergy groups, sIL-2R plasma levels were reduced. This reduction was significant only in patients sensitive to grass pollen (before 592.3 U/ml 1 year 366.9 U/ml 2 years 348.3 U/ml) and mites (before 564.7U/ml 1 year 395.0 U/ml 2 years 327.5 U/ml) (see fig. 2). 

Bohle, B., Radakovics, A., Jahn-Schmid, B., Hoffmann-Sommergruber, K., Fischer, G.F., and Ebner, C. 2003. Bet v 1, the major birch pollen allergen, initiates sensitization to Api g 1, the major allergen in celery Evidence at the T cell level. Eur J Immunol 33(12) 3303—3310. 

Among 383 patients with food allergy, 37% revealed positive reaction to hazelnut (Etesamifar and Wiithrich 1998), and among pollen-allergic patients as much as 53% (Eriksson et al. 1982). In the areas where birch trees are endemic, hazelnut allergy is most often manifested as mild OAS, both in children and in adults (Cudowska and Kaczmarski 2004). However, the route of clinically relevant sensitization to hazelnut in children can be nonpollen related (Flinterman et al. 2006). Children can be sensitized to hazelnut at an early age. In many cases, reactions are very serious and frequently correlated with sensitivity to peanut or other tree nuts (Pumphrey et al. 1999). So far it has not been univocally settled which major allergens, and of which kind of nut, are responsible for the primary sensitization in children with objective reactions to hazelnuts. 

Flinterman, A.E., Hoekstra, M.O., Meijer, Y. et al. 2006. Clinical reactivity to hazelnut in children Association with sensitization to birch pollen or nuts J Allergy Clin Immunol 118 1186-1189. 

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