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Nagy A, Balogh K, Csáki C, Fábos B, Mohácsi E, Papp G. Real-World Study of Ragweed Sublingual Immunotherapy in Hungary. Allergol Immunopathol (Madr) 2024; 52:80-84. [PMID: 39278855 DOI: 10.15586/aei.v52i5.1150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 09/18/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ragweed (Ambrosia elatior) has become invasive in Europe, causing significant respiratory issues. Subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy (SCIT) has long been used to manage pollen allergies, but sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) has gained interest. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the clinical benefits of ragweed SLIT under real-world in a cohort of Hungarian patients allergic to ragweed pollen. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 57 patients during the 2015 and 2016 ragweed pollen seasons. Patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 (n = 29), who had not received immunotherapy, and Group 2 (n = 28), who had previously undergone immunotherapy with another sublingual preparation. All patients were treated with Oraltek® ragweed for 4-6 months, initiating 2-4 months before the pollen season and rest of the period was 2 months of the 2016 pollen season. Symptom score (SS), medication score (MS), and combined symptom and medication score (CSMS) were evaluated intra- and intergroup. RESULTS Pollen counts were consistent between 2015 and 2016. All patients showed significant improvement in SS, MS, and CSMS, with a large effect size (>0.8). Group 2 had significantly lower SS and CSMS in 2015 because of prior immunotherapy. By 2016, both groups exhibited marked improvements, with Group 1 showing a 75% improvement in CSMS. No local or systemic reactions were recorded, indicating a high safety profile. CONCLUSIONS Ragweed SLIT significantly improved symptoms and reduced use of medication in patients allergic to ragweed pollen. The treatment was effective even in patients with previous immunotherapy, with a high benefit-risk ratio demonstrated by the absence of adverse reactions. These findings support the use of Oraltek SLIT for managing ragweed pollen allergy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrienne Nagy
- Heim Pál National Pediatric Institute, Budapest, Hungary;
| | | | - Csilla Csáki
- Calvinistic Pulmonological Centrum, Törökbálint, Hungary
| | - Beáta Fábos
- Kaposi Mór Teaching Hospital, Kaposvár, Hungary
| | - Edit Mohácsi
- St. Janos North-Buda Centrum Hospital, Budapest, Hungary
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Zbîrcea LE, Buzan MR, Grijincu M, Cotarcă MD, Tamaș TP, Haidar L, Tănasie G, Huțu I, Babaev E, Stolz F, Valenta R, Păunescu V, Panaitescu C, Chen KW. Heterogenous Induction of Blocking Antibodies against Ragweed Allergen Molecules by Allergen Extract-Based Immunotherapy Vaccines. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:635. [PMID: 38932364 PMCID: PMC11209568 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12060635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2024] [Revised: 06/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Currently, allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) for ragweed allergy is still based on natural allergen extracts. This study aimed to analyse the ability of four commercially available AIT vaccines (CLUSTOID, TYRO-SIT, POLLINEX Quattro Plus and Diater Depot) regarding their ability to induce IgG antibodies against ragweed pollen allergens in rabbits. Accordingly, the IgG reactivity of AIT-induced rabbit sera was tested for ten different ragweed pollen allergens (Amb a 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12) by an ELISA. Furthermore, the ability of rabbit AIT-specific sera to block allergic patients' IgE binding to relevant ragweed allergens (Amb a 1, 4, 6, 8 and 11) and to inhibit allergen-induced basophil activation was evaluated by an IgE inhibition ELISA and a mediator release assay. Only two AIT vaccines (Diater Depot > CLUSTOID) induced relevant IgG antibody levels to the major ragweed allergen Amb a 1. The IgG responses induced by the AIT vaccines against the other ragweed allergens were low and highly heterogeneous. Interestingly, the kinetics of IgG responses were different among the AIT vaccines and even within one AIT vaccine (Diater Depot) for Amb a 1 (long-lasting) versus Amb a 8 and Amb a 11 (short-lived). This could be due to variations in allergen contents, the immunogenicity of the allergens, and different immunization protocols. The IgE inhibition experiments showed that rabbit AIT-specific sera containing high allergen-specific IgG levels were able to inhibit patients' IgE binding and prevent the mediator release with Diater Depot. The high levels of allergen-specific IgG levels were associated with their ability to prevent the recognition of allergens by patients' IgE and allergen-induced basophil activation, indicating that the measurement of allergen-induced IgG could be a useful surrogate marker for the immunological efficacy of vaccines. Accordingly, the results of our study may be helpful for the selection of personalized AIT vaccination strategies for ragweed-allergic patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauriana-Eunice Zbîrcea
- Center of Immuno-Physiology and Biotechnologies, Department of Functional Sciences, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania (L.H.)
- OncoGen Center, Pius Brinzeu County Clinical Emergency Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Maria-Roxana Buzan
- Center of Immuno-Physiology and Biotechnologies, Department of Functional Sciences, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania (L.H.)
- OncoGen Center, Pius Brinzeu County Clinical Emergency Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Manuela Grijincu
- Center of Immuno-Physiology and Biotechnologies, Department of Functional Sciences, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania (L.H.)
- OncoGen Center, Pius Brinzeu County Clinical Emergency Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Monica-Daniela Cotarcă
- Center of Immuno-Physiology and Biotechnologies, Department of Functional Sciences, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania (L.H.)
- OncoGen Center, Pius Brinzeu County Clinical Emergency Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Tudor-Paul Tamaș
- Center of Immuno-Physiology and Biotechnologies, Department of Functional Sciences, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania (L.H.)
- OncoGen Center, Pius Brinzeu County Clinical Emergency Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Laura Haidar
- Center of Immuno-Physiology and Biotechnologies, Department of Functional Sciences, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania (L.H.)
- OncoGen Center, Pius Brinzeu County Clinical Emergency Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Gabriela Tănasie
- Center of Immuno-Physiology and Biotechnologies, Department of Functional Sciences, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania (L.H.)
- OncoGen Center, Pius Brinzeu County Clinical Emergency Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Ioan Huțu
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences “King Mihai I of Romania”, 300645 Timișoara, Romania;
| | - Elijahu Babaev
- Vienna Competence Center, Biomay AG, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Frank Stolz
- Vienna Competence Center, Biomay AG, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Rudolf Valenta
- Center of Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Division of Immunopathology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Laboratory for Immunopathology, Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergology, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, 3500 Krems, Austria
- NRC Institute of Immunology FMBA of Russia, 115478 Moscow, Russia
| | - Virgil Păunescu
- Center of Immuno-Physiology and Biotechnologies, Department of Functional Sciences, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania (L.H.)
- OncoGen Center, Pius Brinzeu County Clinical Emergency Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Carmen Panaitescu
- Center of Immuno-Physiology and Biotechnologies, Department of Functional Sciences, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania (L.H.)
- OncoGen Center, Pius Brinzeu County Clinical Emergency Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Kuan-Wei Chen
- OncoGen Center, Pius Brinzeu County Clinical Emergency Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, Romania
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Venkatesan S, Zare A, Stevanovic S. Pollen and sub-pollen particles: External interactions shaping the allergic potential of pollen. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 926:171593. [PMID: 38479525 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Pollen allergies, such as allergic rhinitis, are triggered by exposure to airborne pollen. They are a considerable global health burden, with their numbers expected to rise in the coming decades due to the advent of climate change and air pollution. The relationships that exist between pollens, meteorological, and environmental conditions are complex due to a lack of clarity on the nature and conditions associated with these interactions; therefore, it is challenging to describe their direct impacts on allergenic potential clearly. This article attempts to review evidence pertaining to the possible influence of meteorological factors and air pollutants on the allergic potential of pollen by studying the interactions that pollen undergoes, from its inception to atmospheric traversal to human exposure. This study classifies the evidence based on the nature of these interactions as physical, chemical, source, and biological, thereby simplifying the complexities in describing these interactions. Physical conditions facilitating pollen rupturing for tree, grass, and weed pollen, along with their mechanisms, are studied. The effects of pollen exposure to air pollutants and their impact on pollen allergenic potential are presented along with the possible outcomes following these interactions, such as pollen fragmentation (SPP generation), deposition of particulate matter on pollen exine, and modification of protein levels in-situ of pollen. This study also delves into evidence on plant-based (source and biological) interactions, which could indirectly influence the allergic potential of pollen. The current state of knowledge, open questions, and a brief overview of future research directions are outlined and discussed. We suggest that future studies should utilise a multi-disciplinary approach to better understand this complex system of pollen interactions that occur in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ali Zare
- School of Engineering, Deakin University, VIC 3216, Australia
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Buzan MR, Grijincu M, Zbîrcea LE, Haidar L, Tamaș TP, Cotarcă MD, Tănasie G, Weber M, Babaev E, Stolz F, Valenta R, Păunescu V, Panaitescu C, Chen KW. Insect Cell-Expressed Major Ragweed Allergen Amb a 1.01 Exhibits Similar Allergenic Properties to Its Natural Counterpart from Common Ragweed Pollen. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5175. [PMID: 38791214 PMCID: PMC11121294 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Common ragweed pollen allergy has become a health burden worldwide. One of the major allergens in ragweed allergy is Amb a 1, which is responsible for over 90% of the IgE response in ragweed-allergic patients. The major allergen isoform Amb a 1.01 is the most allergenic isoform in ragweed pollen. So far, no recombinant Amb a 1.01 with similar allergenic properties to its natural counterpart (nAmb a 1.01) has been produced. Hence, this study aimed to produce a recombinant Amb a 1.01 with similar properties to the natural isoform for improved ragweed allergy management. Amb a 1.01 was expressed in insect cells using a codon-optimized DNA construct with a removable N-terminal His-Tag (rAmb a 1.01). The recombinant protein was purified by affinity chromatography and physicochemically characterized. The rAmb a 1.01 was compared to nAmb a 1.01 in terms of the IgE binding (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunoblot) and allergenic activity (mediator release assay) in well-characterized ragweed-allergic patients. The rAmb a 1.01 exhibited similar IgE reactivity to nAmb a 1.01 in different IgE-binding assays (i.e., IgE immunoblot, ELISA, quantitative ImmunoCAP inhibition measurements). Furthermore, the rAmb a 1.01 showed comparable dose-dependent allergenic activity to nAmb a 1.01 regarding basophil activation. Overall, the results showed the successful expression of an rAmb a 1.01 with comparable characteristics to the corresponding natural isoform. Our findings provide the basis for an improvement in ragweed allergy research, diagnosis, and immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria-Roxana Buzan
- Center of Immuno-Physiology and Biotechnologies, Department of Functional Sciences, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (M.-R.B.); (M.G.); (L.-E.Z.)
- OncoGen Center, Pius Brinzeu County Clinical Emergency Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, Romania;
| | - Manuela Grijincu
- Center of Immuno-Physiology and Biotechnologies, Department of Functional Sciences, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (M.-R.B.); (M.G.); (L.-E.Z.)
- OncoGen Center, Pius Brinzeu County Clinical Emergency Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, Romania;
| | - Lauriana-Eunice Zbîrcea
- Center of Immuno-Physiology and Biotechnologies, Department of Functional Sciences, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (M.-R.B.); (M.G.); (L.-E.Z.)
- OncoGen Center, Pius Brinzeu County Clinical Emergency Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, Romania;
| | - Laura Haidar
- Center of Immuno-Physiology and Biotechnologies, Department of Functional Sciences, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (M.-R.B.); (M.G.); (L.-E.Z.)
| | - Tudor-Paul Tamaș
- Center of Immuno-Physiology and Biotechnologies, Department of Functional Sciences, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (M.-R.B.); (M.G.); (L.-E.Z.)
| | - Monica-Daniela Cotarcă
- Center of Immuno-Physiology and Biotechnologies, Department of Functional Sciences, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (M.-R.B.); (M.G.); (L.-E.Z.)
| | - Gabriela Tănasie
- Center of Immuno-Physiology and Biotechnologies, Department of Functional Sciences, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (M.-R.B.); (M.G.); (L.-E.Z.)
- OncoGen Center, Pius Brinzeu County Clinical Emergency Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, Romania;
| | - Milena Weber
- Division of Immunopathology, Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Elijahu Babaev
- Vienna Competence Center, Biomay AG, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Frank Stolz
- Vienna Competence Center, Biomay AG, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Rudolf Valenta
- Division of Immunopathology, Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Laboratory for Immunopathology, Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergology, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, 3500 Krems, Austria
- NRC Institute of Immunology FMBA of Russia, 115478 Moscow, Russia
| | - Virgil Păunescu
- Center of Immuno-Physiology and Biotechnologies, Department of Functional Sciences, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (M.-R.B.); (M.G.); (L.-E.Z.)
- OncoGen Center, Pius Brinzeu County Clinical Emergency Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, Romania;
| | - Carmen Panaitescu
- Center of Immuno-Physiology and Biotechnologies, Department of Functional Sciences, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (M.-R.B.); (M.G.); (L.-E.Z.)
- OncoGen Center, Pius Brinzeu County Clinical Emergency Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, Romania;
| | - Kuan-Wei Chen
- OncoGen Center, Pius Brinzeu County Clinical Emergency Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, Romania;
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索 爽, 马 婷, 王 洪, 王 也, 王 学. [Sensitization characteristics of ragweed pollen in Beijing area]. LIN CHUANG ER BI YAN HOU TOU JING WAI KE ZA ZHI = JOURNAL OF CLINICAL OTORHINOLARYNGOLOGY, HEAD, AND NECK SURGERY 2023; 37:380-386. [PMID: 37138402 PMCID: PMC10495787 DOI: 10.13201/j.issn.2096-7993.2023.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Objective:To investigate the sensitization characteristics of ragweed pollen in patients with allergic rhinitis(AR) and(or) allergic asthma in Beijing area, and to provide basis for the prevention and treatment of ragweed pollen sensitized population. Methods:Patients with allergic rhinitis and/or asthma from January 2017 to December 2019 in the outpatient department of Allergy Department of Beijing Shijitan Hospital were retrospectively analyzed in this study. Skin prick test(SPT) was performed with ragweed pollen allergen reagents to compare different ages, genders and respiratory diseases allergen distribution, and to observe the sensitization characteristics of its population. All of the analyses were performed using SAS software version 9.4. Results:A total of 9 727 patients were enrolled in the end. The total positive rate of ragweed pollen SPT was 45.50%(4 426/9 727), the highest positive rate was 65.54% in 13-17 years old group; The positive rate of ragweed pollen SPT was 49.79% in allergic rhinitis combined with asthma patients, followed by 46.46% in allergic rhinitis patients, and the lowest rate was 19.42% in single allergic asthma patients. There were more females than males in both ragweed pollen sensitized and non-ragweed pollen sensitized groups(P<0.05), and the proportion was higher in 30-39 years old than in other age groups(P<0.05). Ragweed pollen sensitization was higher than non-ragweed pollen sensitization in the allergic rhinitis group(98.49% vs 94.76%, P<0.05). Ragweed pollen with other summer and autumn pollen allergens in patients with positive SPT, the top three were Chenopodium pollen, Humulus pollen and Artemisia grandis pollen, with positive rates of 90.42%, 89.63% and 85.40%, respectively. Ragweed combined with other pollen sensitization accounted for 99.57%(4 407/4 426). Allergic rhinitis was the main disease in patients sensitized with ragweed pollen alone or combined with other pollens, and there was no significant difference between the two groups(94.97% vs 98.50%, P>0.05). Conclusion:Ragweed pollen is highly sensitized in Beijing area, single ragweed pollen sensitization is rare, often combined with multiple pollen sensitization, and allergic rhinitis is the main disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- 爽 索
- 首都医科大学附属北京世纪坛医院变态反应科(北京,100038)Department of Allergy, Beijing Shijitan Hospital. Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100038, China
| | - 婷婷 马
- 首都医科大学附属北京世纪坛医院变态反应科(北京,100038)Department of Allergy, Beijing Shijitan Hospital. Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100038, China
| | - 洪田 王
- 首都医科大学附属北京世纪坛医院变态反应科(北京,100038)Department of Allergy, Beijing Shijitan Hospital. Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100038, China
| | - 也 王
- 中国医学科学院北京协和医学院群医学及公共卫生学院School of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College
| | - 学艳 王
- 首都医科大学附属北京世纪坛医院变态反应科(北京,100038)Department of Allergy, Beijing Shijitan Hospital. Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100038, China
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Genetic structuring and invasion status of the perennial Ambrosia psilostachya (Asteraceae) in Europe. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3736. [PMID: 36878947 PMCID: PMC9988885 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30377-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The perennial western ragweed (Ambrosia psilostachya DC.) arrived from North America to Europe in the late nineteenth century and behaves invasive in its non-native range. Due to its efficient vegetative propagation via root suckers, A. psilostachya got naturalized in major parts of Europe forming extensive populations in Mediterranean coastal areas. The invasion history, the spreading process, the relationships among the populations as well as population structuring is not yet explored. This paper aims to give first insights into the population genetics of A. psilostachya in its non-native European range based on 60 sampled populations and 15 Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR). By AMOVA analysis we detected 10.4% of genetic variation occurring among (pre-defined) regions. These regions represent important harbors for trading goods from America to Europe that might have served as source for founder populations. Bayesian Clustering revealed that spatial distribution of genetic variation of populations is best explained by six groups, mainly corresponding to regions around important harbors. As northern populations show high degrees of clonality and lowest levels of within-population genetic diversity (mean Ho = 0.40 ± 0.09), they could preserve the initial genetic variation levels by long-lived clonal genets. In Mediterranean populations A. psilostachya expanded to millions of shoots. Some of those were obviously spread by sea current along the coast to new sites, where they initiated populations characterized by a lower genetic diversity. For the future, the invasion history in Europe might get clearer after consideration of North American source populations of western ragweed.
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Siegel J, Gill N, Ramanathan M, Patadia M. Unified Airway Disease. Otolaryngol Clin North Am 2023; 56:39-53. [DOI: 10.1016/j.otc.2022.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Ma R, Wang Y, Tian L, Dong J, Hu Z, Lou M, Gong M, Zhang L, Wang B, Yang F, Yu A, Zheng G, Tong Z, Zhang Y. Quantification of Artemisia pollen deposition in the paranasal sinuses following functional endoscopic sinus surgery. POWDER TECHNOL 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.powtec.2023.118318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Vélez-Pereira AM, De Linares C, Belmonte J. Aerobiological modelling II: A review of long-range transport models. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 845:157351. [PMID: 35842165 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The long-range atmospheric transport models of pollen and fungal spores require four modules for their development: (i) Meteorological module: which contain the meteorological model, and it can be coupled to transport model with the same output configuration (spatio-temporal resolution), or uncoupled does not necessarily have the same output parameters. (ii) Emission module: settles the mass fluxes of bioaerosol, it can be done with a complex parameterization integrating phenological models and meteorological factors or by a simple emission factor. (iii) Sources of emission module, specifically refers to forestry/agronomy maps or, in the case of herbs and fungi, to potential geographical areas of emission. Obtaining the highest possible resolution in these maps allows establishing greater reliability in the modelling. (iv) Atmospheric transport module, with its respective established output parameters. The review and subsequent analysis presented in this article, were performed on published electronic scientific articles from 1998 to 2016. Of a total of 101 models applied found in 64 articles, 33 % performed forward modelling (using 15 different models) and 67 % made backward modelling (with three different models). The 88 % of the cases were applied to pollen (13 taxa) and 12 % to fungal spores (3 taxa). Regarding the emission module, 22 % used parametrization (four different parameters) and 10 % emission factors. The most used transport model was HYSPLIT (59 %: 56 % backward and 3 % forward) following by SILAM 10 % (all forward). Main conclusions were that the models of long-range transport of pollen and fungal spores had high technical-scientific requirements to development and that the major limitations were the establishment of the flow and the source of the emission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés M Vélez-Pereira
- Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica, Chile; Laboratorio de Investigaciones Medioambientales de Zonas Áridas, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica, Chile.
| | | | - Jordina Belmonte
- Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, (ICTA-UAB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
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Singh AB, Kumar P. Climate change and allergic diseases: An overview. FRONTIERS IN ALLERGY 2022; 3:964987. [PMID: 36310569 PMCID: PMC9606573 DOI: 10.3389/falgy.2022.964987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change has been regarded as a threat to the human species on the earth. Greenhouse gasses are leading to increased temperatures on Earth besides impacting the humanity. These atmospheric conditions have shown to alter the release pattern of pollens and can change the timing and magnitude of pollen release with flowering plants. As pollen is responsible for respiratory allergies in humans, so climate change can adversely affect human health in susceptible individuals. In this review, we highlight the association between climate change, increased prevalence and severity of asthma, and related allergic diseases. Increased air pollution can alter the production of local and regional pollen. This altered pattern depends on bioclimatic parameters. As simulated with a pollen-release model and future bioclimatic data, warmer temperatures lead to an increased pollen count in some specific locations and for longer periods. Thus, anticipation of a future allergic disease burden can help public health agencies in planning to develop strategies in mitigating the unprecedented health challenges expected in future years.
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Leru PM, Anton VF, Eftimie AM, Stefanut S. Biologic Pollution Due to Ambrosia (Ragweed) Pollen in Urban Environment of Bucharest. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:10613. [PMID: 36078328 PMCID: PMC9517888 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191710613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Ragweed pollen is an important component of biological pollution in the urban environment, responsible for increasing respiratory allergies and significant contribution to the health impact of air pollution in the Bucharest area. The aim of this paper is to present the eight-year ragweed pollen monitoring data from Bucharest, to place them in the context of local air pollution, public health regulations and available data on the health impact of ragweed pollen in the urban environment. Our pollen data were correlated with major air pollutant concentrations and with meteorological factors in a recently published local paper and the clinical data of patients with ragweed-induced respiratory symptoms were collected and published in 2019. The ragweed pollen monitoring data, correlated with field data reported by patients and plant specialists confirm the rapid spread of Ambrosia in the Bucharest city area, in addition to some stringent environmental local problems due to air pollution. The number of patients addressed to allergists almost doubled from one year to another, confirming the real alarming health impact of this environmental hazard. Our study confirms the need for more coherent strategies to control ragweed spread, based on application of existing local and international regulations, air pollution control and evaluation of consequences on human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polliana Mihaela Leru
- Clinical Department 5, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
- Department of Allergology, Colentina Clinical Hospital, 020125 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Vlad Florin Anton
- Department of Allergology, Colentina Clinical Hospital, 020125 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Ana Maria Eftimie
- Department of Allergology, Colentina Clinical Hospital, 020125 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Sorin Stefanut
- Department of Ecology, Taxonomy and Nature Conservation, Institute of Biology Bucharest, Romanian Academy, 060031 Bucharest, Romania
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12
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Haidar L, Tamas TP, Stolz F, Patrascu RFP, Chen KW, Panaitescu C. Symptom patterns and comparison of diagnostic methods in ragweed pollen allergy. Exp Ther Med 2021; 21:525. [PMID: 33815598 PMCID: PMC8014962 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.9957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to determine the pattern of symptoms of ragweed pollen-induced allergic disease in sensitized patients from Romania and to compare the molecular diagnosis of allergy with the skin prick test, in order to better characterize allergic patients and to guide therapy. A total of 97 subjects, including patients with ragweed pollen-induced allergic rhinoconjunctivitis with/without asthma, as well as healthy controls, were recruited prospectively in one ragweed pollen season, submitted to allergy questionnaires, skin prick tests and multiplex specific IgE (immunoglobulin E) measurement by ImmunoCAP ISAC (ImmunoCAP Immuno-Solid phase Allergy Chip) assay. A total of 83 patients were sensitized to ragweed pollen. Most patients (73%) were diagnosed with moderate-severe intermittent allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and 25% of the patients also had allergic asthma. The most common symptoms were watery rhinorrhea (91.57%), nasal obstruction (86.75%), and sneezing (85.54%). Most patients were polysensitized (62.65%), especially to other pollens, house dust mites and animal danders. Only 90% of the patients with positive skin prick test to ragweed pollen extract also had increased specific serum IgE to Amb a 1. Current options for specific molecular diagnosis of ragweed allergy are limited, as they only contain one or few of the sensitizing allergens present in ragweed pollen. An improved component-resolved diagnosis, using several ragweed pollen allergens, is required for better patient characterization and subsequent selection of an appropriate allergen immunotherapy product, thereby enabling a more personalized approach to the management of the ragweed-allergic patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Haidar
- Discipline of Physiology, Department III Functional Sciences, 'Victor Babes' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania.,Centre for Gene and Cellular Therapies in The Treatment of Cancer-OncoGen, 'Pius Brinzeu' Clinical Emergency Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, Romania.,Center of Immuno-Physiology and Biotechnologies, 'Victor Babes' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Tudor-Paul Tamas
- Discipline of Physiology, Department III Functional Sciences, 'Victor Babes' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania.,Centre for Gene and Cellular Therapies in The Treatment of Cancer-OncoGen, 'Pius Brinzeu' Clinical Emergency Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Frank Stolz
- Department of Product Development, Biomay AG, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Raul Florian Petrisor Patrascu
- Discipline of Physiology, Department III Functional Sciences, 'Victor Babes' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Kuan-Wei Chen
- Centre for Gene and Cellular Therapies in The Treatment of Cancer-OncoGen, 'Pius Brinzeu' Clinical Emergency Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Carmen Panaitescu
- Discipline of Physiology, Department III Functional Sciences, 'Victor Babes' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania.,Centre for Gene and Cellular Therapies in The Treatment of Cancer-OncoGen, 'Pius Brinzeu' Clinical Emergency Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, Romania.,Center of Immuno-Physiology and Biotechnologies, 'Victor Babes' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
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13
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Mikheeva OO, Kostromina MA, Lykoshin DD, Tereshin MN, Zavriev SK, Svirshchevskaya EV, Khlgatyan SV, Esipov RS. Production of Recombinant Allergens Phl p 1 and Amb a 1 for Detection of Class E Immunoglobulins. RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY 2020. [DOI: 10.1134/s1068162020060199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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14
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van Boheemen LA, Hodgins KA. Rapid repeatable phenotypic and genomic adaptation following multiple introductions. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:4102-4117. [PMID: 32246535 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Uncovering the genomic basis of repeated adaption can provide important insights into the constraints and biases that limit the diversity of genetic responses. Demographic processes such as admixture or bottlenecks affect genetic variation underlying traits experiencing selection. The impact of these processes on the genetic basis of adaptation remains, however, largely unexamined empirically. We here test repeatability in phenotypes and genotypes along parallel climatic clines within the native North American and introduced European and Australian Ambrosia artemisiifolia ranges. To do this, we combined multiple lines of evidence from phenotype-environment associations, FST -like outlier tests, genotype-environment associations and genotype-phenotype associations. We used 853 individuals grown in common garden from 84 sampling locations, targeting 19 phenotypes, >83 k SNPs and 22 environmental variables. We found that 17%-26% of loci with adaptive signatures were repeated among ranges, despite alternative demographic histories shaping genetic variation and genetic associations. Our results suggest major adaptive changes can occur on short timescales, with seemingly minimum impacts due to demographic changes linked to introduction. These patterns reveal some predictability of evolutionary change during range expansion, key in a world facing ongoing climate change, and rapid invasive spread.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kathryn A Hodgins
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia
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15
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Grewling Ł, Bogawski P, Kryza M, Magyar D, Šikoparija B, Skjøth CA, Udvardy O, Werner M, Smith M. Concomitant occurrence of anthropogenic air pollutants, mineral dust and fungal spores during long-distance transport of ragweed pollen. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2019; 254:112948. [PMID: 31377333 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.07.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Revised: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Large-scale synoptic conditions are able to transport considerable amounts of airborne particles over entire continents by creating substantial air mass movement. This phenomenon is observed in Europe in relation to highly allergenic ragweed (Ambrosia L.) pollen grains that are transported from populations in Central Europe (mainly the Pannonian Plain and Balkans) to the North. The path taken by atmospheric ragweed pollen often passes through the highly industrialised mining region of Silesia in Southern Poland, considered to be one of the most polluted areas in the EU. It is hypothesized that chemical air pollutants released over Silesia could become mixed with biological material and be transported to less polluted regions further North. We analysed levels of air pollution during episodes of long-distance transport (LDT) of ragweed pollen to Poland. Results show that, concomitantly with pollen, the concentration of air pollutants with potential health-risk, i.e. SO2, and PM10, have also significantly increased (by 104% and 37%, respectively) in the receptor area (Western Poland). Chemical transport modelling (EMEP) and air mass back-trajectory analysis (HYSPLIT) showed that potential sources of PM10 include Silesia, as well as mineral dust from the Ukrainian steppe and the Sahara Desert. In addition, atmospheric concentrations of other allergenic biological particles, i.e. Alternaria Nees ex Fr. spores, also increased markedly (by 115%) during LDT episodes. We suggest that the LDT episodes of ragweed pollen over Europe are not a "one-component" phenomenon, but are often related to elevated levels of chemical air pollutants and other biotic and abiotic components (fungal spores and desert dust).
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Affiliation(s)
- Łukasz Grewling
- Laboratory of Aeropalynology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-489 Poznań, Poland.
| | - Paweł Bogawski
- Laboratory of Biological Spatial Information, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-489 Poznań, Poland
| | - Maciej Kryza
- Department of Climatology and Atmosphere Protection, University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Donat Magyar
- Department of Air Hygiene and Aerobiology, National Public Health Institute, Hungary
| | - Branko Šikoparija
- BioSense Institute - Research Institute for Information Technologies in Biosystems, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Carsten Ambelas Skjøth
- School of Science and the Environment, University of Worcester, Henwick Grove, WR2 6AJ, Worcester, United Kingdom
| | - Orsolya Udvardy
- Department of Air Hygiene and Aerobiology, National Public Health Institute, Hungary
| | - Małgorzata Werner
- Department of Climatology and Atmosphere Protection, University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Matt Smith
- School of Science and the Environment, University of Worcester, Henwick Grove, WR2 6AJ, Worcester, United Kingdom
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16
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van Boheemen LA, Bou‐Assi S, Uesugi A, Hodgins KA. Rapid growth and defence evolution following multiple introductions. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:7942-7956. [PMID: 31380062 PMCID: PMC6662289 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Revised: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Rapid adaptation can aid invasive populations in their competitive success. Resource allocation trade-off hypotheses predict higher resource availability or the lack of natural enemies in introduced ranges allow for increased growth and reproduction, thus contributing to invasive success. Evidence for such hypotheses is however equivocal and tests among multiple ranges over productivity gradients are required to provide a better understanding of the general applicability of these theories.Using common gardens, we investigated the adaptive divergence of various constitutive and inducible defence-related traits between the native North American and introduced European and Australian ranges, while controlling for divergence due to latitudinal trait clines, individual resource budgets, and population differentiation, using >11,000 SNPs.Rapid, repeated clinal adaptation in defence-related traits was apparent despite distinct demographic histories. We also identified divergence among ranges in some defence-related traits, although differences in energy budgets among ranges may explain some, but not all, defence-related trait divergence. We do not identify a general reduction in defence in concert with an increase in growth among the multiple introduced ranges as predicted trade-off hypotheses. Synthesis: The rapid spread of invasive species is affected by a multitude of factors, likely including adaptation to climate and escape from natural enemies. Unravelling the mechanisms underlying invasives' success enhances understanding of eco-evolutionary theory and is essential to inform management strategies in the face of ongoing climate change. OPEN RESEARCH BADGES This article has been awarded Open Materials, Open Data, Preregistered Research Designs Badges. All materials and data are publicly accessible via the Open Science Framework at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.8028875.v1, https://github.com/lotteanna/defence_adaptation,https://doi.org/10.1101/435271.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah Bou‐Assi
- School of Biological SciencesMonash UniversityClaytonVictoriaAustralia
| | - Akane Uesugi
- School of Biological SciencesMonash UniversityClaytonVictoriaAustralia
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17
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Zewdie GK, Liu X, Wu D, Lary DJ, Levetin E. Applying machine learning to forecast daily Ambrosia pollen using environmental and NEXRAD parameters. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2019; 191:261. [PMID: 31254085 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-019-7428-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Approximately 50 million Americans have allergic diseases. Airborne plant pollen is a significant trigger for several of these allergic diseases. Ambrosia (ragweed) is known for its abundant production of pollen and its potent allergic effect in North America. Hence, estimating and predicting the daily atmospheric concentration of pollen (ragweed pollen in particular) is useful for both people with allergies and for the health professionals who care for them. In this study, we show that a suite of variables including meteorological and land surface parameters, as well as next-generation radar (NEXRAD) measurements together with machine learning can be used to estimate successfully the daily pollen concentration. The supervised machine learning approaches we used included random forests, neural networks, and support vector machines. The performance of the training is independently validated using 10% of the data partitioned using the holdout cross-validation method from the original dataset. The random forests (R= 0.61, R2= 0.37), support vector machines (R= 0.51, R2= 0.26), and neural networks (R= 0.46, R2= 0.21) effectively predicted the daily Ambrosia pollen, where the correlation coefficient (R) and R-squared (R2) values are given in brackets. Three independent approaches-the random forests, correlation coefficients, and interaction information-were employed to rank the relative importance of the available predictors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gebreab K Zewdie
- William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA.
| | - Xun Liu
- William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Daji Wu
- William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - David J Lary
- William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
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18
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Zewdie GK, Lary DJ, Levetin E, Garuma GF. Applying Deep Neural Networks and Ensemble Machine Learning Methods to Forecast Airborne Ambrosia Pollen. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16111992. [PMID: 31167504 PMCID: PMC6603941 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16111992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2019] [Revised: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Allergies to airborne pollen are a significant issue affecting millions of Americans. Consequently, accurately predicting the daily concentration of airborne pollen is of significant public benefit in providing timely alerts. This study presents a method for the robust estimation of the concentration of airborne Ambrosia pollen using a suite of machine learning approaches including deep learning and ensemble learners. Each of these machine learning approaches utilize data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) atmospheric weather and land surface reanalysis. The machine learning approaches used for developing a suite of empirical models are deep neural networks, extreme gradient boosting, random forests and Bayesian ridge regression methods for developing our predictive model. The training data included twenty-four years of daily pollen concentration measurements together with ECMWF weather and land surface reanalysis data from 1987 to 2011 is used to develop the machine learning predictive models. The last six years of the dataset from 2012 to 2017 is used to independently test the performance of the machine learning models. The correlation coefficients between the estimated and actual pollen abundance for the independent validation datasets for the deep neural networks, random forest, extreme gradient boosting and Bayesian ridge were 0.82, 0.81, 0.81 and 0.75 respectively, showing that machine learning can be used to effectively forecast the concentrations of airborne pollen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gebreab K Zewdie
- William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA.
| | - David J Lary
- William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA.
| | - Estelle Levetin
- Department of Biological Science, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK 74104, USA.
| | - Gemechu F Garuma
- Institute of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Quebec at Montreal, Montreal, QC H2L 2C4, Canada.
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19
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The Prevalence of Allergic Rhinitis toAmbrosia Elatior in OlteniaArea and the Association with Allergic Conjunctivitis or Asthma. CURRENT HEALTH SCIENCES JOURNAL 2019; 45:66-72. [PMID: 31297265 PMCID: PMC6592663 DOI: 10.12865/chsj.45.01.09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Introduction-Ambrosia elatior pollen sensitivity can lead to respiratory diseases such as rhinitis, asthma and allergic conjunctivitis. Ambrosia is quite an important source of pollen and it is thought to be an invasive plant. Sensitivity prevalence to Ambrosia pollen varies from one country to another. The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of pollen allergic rhinitis caused by Ambrosia elatior in the Oltenia area located in the south west part of Romania. Material and method - The study was carried on 1004 patients with allergic rhinitis. All the patients experienced symptoms of allergic rhinitis, associated with /without conjunctivitis or asthma, and positive skin tests to aeroallergens. Results - In the group under study, 48,80% of the cases are sensitized to Ambrosia elatior pollen. The number of patients with allergic rhinitis and pollen sensitivity to Ambrosia is higher in 2014-2015 compared to 2012, i.e. 282 cases and the symptoms are moderate-severe. Conclusions - Ambrosia elatior pollen has become a major source of aeroallergen in Oltenia area.
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20
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Nelson HS. Ragweed allergy immunotherapy tablet MK-3641 (Ragwitek®) for the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2018; 14:1003-1011. [PMID: 30345820 DOI: 10.1080/1744666x.2018.1538788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Allergic rhinitis (AR) is among the most common chronic conditions affecting both children and adults. It is the cause of significant morbidity from the symptoms and interference with sleep. It results in major impairment of performance both at school and at work. In the U.S. and certain parts of Europe, ragweed pollen is a major cause of seasonal AR. In 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a sublingual ragweed tablet (MK-3641) for use in adults with ragweed-induced AR. Areas covered: This paper will review the impact of ragweed-induced AR and available treatments including subcutaneous immunotherapy and studies with MK-3641. The principal search method was PubMed. Expert commentary: One dosing finding, two 28-day safety and two 52-week safety and efficacy studies have been conducted with MK-3641. The 12-U (12μg Amb a 1) tablet was the most effective. Local application site reactions were common but usually not serious. Only one, non-serious systemic reaction was reported in four safety studies. MK-3641 is a safe and effective treatment for ragweed-pollen-induced AR when treatment is initiated ≥ 12 weeks prior to the onset of the ragweed pollen season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harold S Nelson
- a Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy/Immunology , National Jewish Health , Denver , Colorado USA
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21
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Creticos PS, Pfaar O. Ragweed sublingual tablet immunotherapy: part I - evidence-based clinical efficacy and safety. Immunotherapy 2018; 10:605-616. [PMID: 29634392 DOI: 10.2217/imt-2017-0186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Sublingual tablet immunotherapy provides an attractive alternative approach to allergen immunotherapy, as the allergen is administered as a rapidly dissolving sublingual tablet. Part I of this two-part series on the ragweed sublingual tablet describes the dose-ranging clinical work, the safety studies and the clinical outcomes from the pivotal trials which provide clear evidence for statistically significant and clinically meaningful benefit in the treatment of patients suffering from ragweed-induced seasonal allergic rhinitis-conjunctivitis with or without milder asthma. The robust results observed in the clinical trials performed with the ragweed sublingual tablet are defined by the quality of their study design, their use of a standardized allergen extract, their consistent reproducibility in demonstrating therapeutic efficacy and their properly quantified and graded safety data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Socrates Creticos
- Division of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.,Creticos Research Group, Crownsville, MD 21032, USA
| | - Oliver Pfaar
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Universitätsmedizin Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.,Center for Rhinology & Allergology Wiesbaden, Wiesbaden, Germany
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22
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Cross-sensitization to Artemisia and Ambrosia pollen allergens in an area located outside of the current distribution range of Ambrosia. Postepy Dermatol Alergol 2018; 35:83-89. [PMID: 29599676 PMCID: PMC5872248 DOI: 10.5114/ada.2018.73167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The role of long-distance transported (LDT) Ambrosia pollen in inducing new sensitization and affecting sensitization rates in Artemisia-sensitized patients is unclear. Aim The aim of this study was to estimate the degree of cross-sensitization to Ambrosia/Artemisia allergens in citizens of Poznan (Western Poland). This area is covered by extensive Artemisia populations but does not currently have local Ambrosia populations. Material and methods Sera of 119 patients were tested by fluoroenzyme immunoassay (CAP-FEIA system) against pollen allergen extracts of Artemisia vulgaris and Ambrosia artemisiifolia, an allergenic component of A. vulgaris (nArt v 1), and an allergenic component of A. artemisiifolia (nAmb a 1). Skin prick tests (SPTs, n = 86) were performed with pollen allergen extracts of A. vulgaris and A. artemisiifolia. Artemisia and Ambrosia pollen in ambient air was collected (1996–2013) by a Hirst type volumetric trap sited at roof level (33 m). Results The SPT showed that the prevalence of sensitization to Ambrosia and Artemisia pollen exceeded 3.5%, and 10.5%, respectively. The measurements of IgE in blood serum (CAP-FEIA) revealed that among Ambrosia-sensitized patients 90.1% (20/22 patients) were concomitantly sensitized to Artemisia. 59.1% (13/22) of these patients reacted to nArt v 1, suggesting primary sensitization to Artemisia pollen. Only 2 (9.1%) patients were mono-sensitized to Ambrosia pollen extract, but surprisingly not to nAmb a 1. Conclusions The LDT Ambrosia pollen had a negligible effect on the rate of sensitization to Ambrosia allergens in Poznan and did not increase the prevalence of sensitization to Artemisia pollen in this region. However, the majority of patients showing hypersensitization to Artemisia pollen might also present symptoms during elevated episodes of LDT of Ambrosia pollen.
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23
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van Boheemen LA, Lombaert E, Nurkowski KA, Gauffre B, Rieseberg LH, Hodgins KA. Multiple introductions, admixture and bridgehead invasion characterize the introduction history of Ambrosia artemisiifolia
in Europe and Australia. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:5421-5434. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Eric Lombaert
- UMR 1355 ISA; INRA; Sophia-Antipolis France
- UMR ISA; Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis; Sophia-Antipolis France
- UMR 7254 ISA; CNRS; Sophia-Antipolis France
| | | | - Bertrand Gauffre
- School of Biological Sciences; Monash University; Clayton VIC Australia
- UMR 7372; Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé; CNRS - Université de La Rochelle; Villiers-en-Bois France
- USC1339; Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé; INRA; Villiers-en-Bois France
| | - Loren H. Rieseberg
- Department of Botany; University of British Columbia; Vancouver BC Canada
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Liu X, Wu D, Zewdie GK, Wijerante L, Timms CI, Riley A, Levetin E, Lary DJ. Using machine learning to estimate atmospheric Ambrosia pollen concentrations in Tulsa, OK. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH INSIGHTS 2017; 11:1178630217699399. [PMID: 28469446 PMCID: PMC5392111 DOI: 10.1177/1178630217699399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
This article describes an example of using machine learning to estimate the abundance of airborne Ambrosia pollen for Tulsa, OK. Twenty-seven years of historical pollen observations were used. These pollen observations were combined with machine learning and a very complete meteorological and land surface context of 85 variables to estimate the daily Ambrosia abundance. The machine learning algorithms employed were Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO), neural networks, and random forests. The best performance was obtained using random forests. The physical insights provided by the random forest are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xun Liu
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Daji Wu
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - David J Lary
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
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25
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de Weger LA, Pashley CH, Šikoparija B, Skjøth CA, Kasprzyk I, Grewling Ł, Thibaudon M, Magyar D, Smith M. The long distance transport of airborne Ambrosia pollen to the UK and the Netherlands from Central and south Europe. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY 2016; 60:1829-1839. [PMID: 27121466 PMCID: PMC5127884 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-016-1170-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Revised: 04/07/2016] [Accepted: 04/09/2016] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The invasive alien species Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common or short ragweed) is increasing its range in Europe. In the UK and the Netherlands, airborne concentrations of Ambrosia pollen are usually low. However, more than 30 Ambrosia pollen grains per cubic metre of air (above the level capable to trigger allergic symptoms) were recorded in Leicester (UK) and Leiden (NL) on 4 and 5 September 2014. The aims of this study were to determine whether the highly allergenic Ambrosia pollen recorded during the episode could be the result of long distance transport, to identify the potential sources of these pollen grains and to describe the conditions that facilitated this possible long distance transport. Airborne Ambrosia pollen data were collected at 10 sites in Europe. Back trajectory and atmospheric dispersion calculations were performed using HYSPLIT_4. Back trajectories calculated at Leicester and Leiden show that higher altitude air masses (1500 m) originated from source areas on the Pannonian Plain and Ukraine. During the episode, air masses veered to the west and passed over the Rhône Valley. Dispersion calculations showed that the atmospheric conditions were suitable for Ambrosia pollen released from the Pannonian Plain and the Rhône Valley to reach the higher levels and enter the airstream moving to northwest Europe where they were deposited at ground level and recorded by monitoring sites. The study indicates that the Ambrosia pollen grains recorded during the episode in Leicester and Leiden were probably not produced by local sources but transported long distances from potential source regions in east Europe, i.e. the Pannonian Plain and Ukraine, as well as the Rhône Valley in France.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letty A de Weger
- Department of Pulmonology, Leiden University Medical Centre, PO Box 9600, 2300RC, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Catherine H Pashley
- Institute for Lung Health, Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Branko Šikoparija
- Laboratory for Palynology, Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
- BioSense Institute, Research Institute for Information Technologies in Biosystems, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Carsten A Skjøth
- National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit, Institute of Science and the Environment, University of Worcester, Henwick Grove, Worcester, UK
| | - Idalia Kasprzyk
- Department of Environmental Biology, University of Rzeszów, Rzeszów, Poland
| | - Łukasz Grewling
- Laboratory of Aeropalynology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Michel Thibaudon
- Reseau National de Surveillance Aerobiologique (RNSA), Brussieu, France
| | - Donat Magyar
- Department of Aerobiology and Air Hygiene, National Public Health Center, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Matt Smith
- Laboratory of Aeropalynology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
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Grewling Ł, Bogawski P, Jenerowicz D, Czarnecka-Operacz M, Šikoparija B, Skjøth CA, Smith M. Mesoscale atmospheric transport of ragweed pollen allergens from infected to uninfected areas. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY 2016; 60:1493-1500. [PMID: 26842368 PMCID: PMC5050238 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-016-1139-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2015] [Revised: 12/07/2015] [Accepted: 01/18/2016] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Allergenic ragweed (Ambrosia spp.) pollen grains, after being released from anthers, can be dispersed by air masses far from their source. However, the action of air temperature, humidity and solar radiation on pollen grains in the atmosphere could impact on the ability of long distance transported (LDT) pollen to maintain allergenic potency. Here, we report that the major allergen of Ambrosia artemisiifolia pollen (Amb a 1) collected in ambient air during episodes of LDT still have immunoreactive properties. The amount of Amb a 1 found in LDT ragweed pollen grains was not constant and varied between episodes. In addition to allergens in pollen sized particles, we detected reactive Amb a 1 in subpollen sized respirable particles. These findings suggest that ragweed pollen grains have the potential to cause allergic reactions, not only in the heavily infested areas but, due to LDT episodes, also in the regions unaffected by ragweed populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ł Grewling
- Laboratory of Aeropalynology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614, Poznań, Poland.
| | - P Bogawski
- Laboratory of Aeropalynology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614, Poznań, Poland
- Department of Climatology, Faculty of Geographical and Geological Sciences, Adam Mickiewicz University, Dzięgielowa 27, 61-680, Poznań, Poland
| | - D Jenerowicz
- Department of Dermatology, University of Medical Science, Przybyszewskiego 49, 60-355, Poznań, Poland
| | - M Czarnecka-Operacz
- Department of Dermatology, University of Medical Science, Przybyszewskiego 49, 60-355, Poznań, Poland
| | - B Šikoparija
- Laboratory for Palynology, Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovica 2, 21000, Novi Sad, Serbia
- BioSense Institute - Institute for Research and Development of Information Technology in Biosystems, Novi Sad, UK
| | - C A Skjøth
- National Pollen and Aerobiological Research Unit, Institute of Science and the Environment, University of Worcester, Henwick Grove, WR2 6AJ, Worcester, UK
| | - M Smith
- Laboratory of Aeropalynology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614, Poznań, Poland
- Institute of Science and the Environment, University of Worcester, Henwick Grove, WR2 6AJ, Worcester, UK
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Groeme R, Airouche S, Kopečný D, Jaekel J, Savko M, Berjont N, Bussieres L, Le Mignon M, Jagic F, Zieglmayer P, Baron-Bodo V, Bordas-Le Floch V, Mascarell L, Briozzo P, Moingeon P. Structural and Functional Characterization of the Major Allergen Amb a 11 from Short Ragweed Pollen. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:13076-87. [PMID: 27129273 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.702001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Allergy to the short ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) pollen is a major health problem. The ragweed allergen repertoire has been recently expanded with the identification of Amb a 11, a new major allergen belonging to the cysteine protease family. To better characterize Amb a 11, a recombinant proform of the molecule with a preserved active site was produced in Escherichia coli, refolded, and processed in vitro into a mature enzyme. The enzymatic activity is revealed by maturation following an autocatalytic processing resulting in the cleavage of both N- and C-terminal propeptides. The 2.05-Å resolution crystal structure of pro-Amb a 11 shows an overall typical C1A cysteine protease fold with a network of molecular interactions between the N-terminal propeptide and the catalytic triad of the enzyme. The allergenicity of Amb a 11 was confirmed in a murine sensitization model, resulting in airway inflammation, production of serum IgEs, and induction of Th2 immune responses. Of note, inflammatory responses were higher with the mature form, demonstrating that the cysteine protease activity critically contributes to the allergenicity of the molecule. Collectively, our results clearly demonstrate that Amb a 11 is a bona fide cysteine protease exhibiting a strong allergenicity. As such, it should be considered as an important molecule for diagnosis and immunotherapy of ragweed pollen allergy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Groeme
- From Research and Development, Stallergenes Greer, 92160 Antony, France
| | - Sabi Airouche
- From Research and Development, Stallergenes Greer, 92160 Antony, France
| | - David Kopečný
- the Department of Protein Biochemistry and Proteomics, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 27, CZ-78371 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Judith Jaekel
- From Research and Development, Stallergenes Greer, 92160 Antony, France
| | - Martin Savko
- the SOLEIL Synchrotron, PROXIMA 2A, Saint Aubin-BP 48, 91192 Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Nathalie Berjont
- From Research and Development, Stallergenes Greer, 92160 Antony, France
| | | | - Maxime Le Mignon
- From Research and Development, Stallergenes Greer, 92160 Antony, France
| | - Franck Jagic
- the Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, AgroParisTech, Route de St-Cyr, 78026 Versailles, France, and
| | - Petra Zieglmayer
- the Vienna Challenge Chamber, Allergy Center Vienna West, A-1150 Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Laurent Mascarell
- From Research and Development, Stallergenes Greer, 92160 Antony, France
| | - Pierre Briozzo
- the Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, AgroParisTech, Route de St-Cyr, 78026 Versailles, France, and
| | - Philippe Moingeon
- From Research and Development, Stallergenes Greer, 92160 Antony, France,
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Abstract
Pollen allergens from short ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) cause severe respiratory allergies in North America and Europe. To date, ten short ragweed pollen allergens belonging to eight protein families, including the recently discovered novel major allergen Amb a 11, have been recorded in the International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS) allergen database. With evidence that other components may further contribute to short ragweed pollen allergenicity, a better understanding of the allergen repertoire is a requisite for the design of proper diagnostic tools and efficient immunotherapies. This review provides an update on both known as well as novel candidate allergens from short ragweed pollen, identified through a comprehensive characterization of the ragweed pollen transcriptome and proteome.
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Marshall GD. Stress and immunity: bench to bedside approaches continue. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2016; 115:333-4. [PMID: 26505930 DOI: 10.1016/j.anai.2015.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2015] [Accepted: 09/10/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Sénéchal H, Visez N, Charpin D, Shahali Y, Peltre G, Biolley JP, Lhuissier F, Couderc R, Yamada O, Malrat-Domenge A, Pham-Thi N, Poncet P, Sutra JP. A Review of the Effects of Major Atmospheric Pollutants on Pollen Grains, Pollen Content, and Allergenicity. ScientificWorldJournal 2015; 2015:940243. [PMID: 26819967 PMCID: PMC4706970 DOI: 10.1155/2015/940243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2015] [Revised: 10/30/2015] [Accepted: 11/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
This review summarizes the available data related to the effects of air pollution on pollen grains from different plant species. Several studies carried out either on in situ harvested pollen or on pollen exposed in different places more or less polluted are presented and discussed. The different experimental procedures used to monitor the impact of pollution on pollen grains and on various produced external or internal subparticles are listed. Physicochemical and biological effects of artificial pollution (gaseous and particulate) on pollen from different plants, in different laboratory conditions, are considered. The effects of polluted pollen grains, subparticles, and derived aeroallergens in animal models, in in vitro cell culture, on healthy human and allergic patients are described. Combined effects of atmospheric pollutants and pollen grains-derived biological material on allergic population are specifically discussed. Within the notion of "polluen," some methodological biases are underlined and research tracks in this field are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Sénéchal
- Allergy & Environment Team, Biochemistry Department, Armand Trousseau Children Hospital (AP-HP), 26 avenue du Dr. Arnold Netter, 75571 Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Visez
- Physical Chemistry of Combustion and Atmosphere Processes (PC2A), UMR CNRS 8522, University of Lille, 59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
| | - Denis Charpin
- Pneumo-Allergology Department, North Hospital, 265 chemin des Bourrely, 13915 Marseille 20, France
| | - Youcef Shahali
- Allergy & Environment Team, Biochemistry Department, Armand Trousseau Children Hospital (AP-HP), 26 avenue du Dr. Arnold Netter, 75571 Paris, France
- Persiflore, 18 avenue du Parc, 91220 Le Plessis-Pâté, France
| | | | - Jean-Philippe Biolley
- SEVE Team, Ecology and Biology of Interactions (EBI), UMR-CNRS-UP 7267, University of Poitiers, 3 rue Jacques Fort, 86073 Poitiers, France
| | | | - Rémy Couderc
- Biochemistry Department, Armand Trousseau Children Hospital (AP-HP), 26 avenue du Dr. Arnold Netter, 75571 Paris 12, France
| | - Ohri Yamada
- French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety, 14 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 94701 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Audrey Malrat-Domenge
- French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety, 14 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 94701 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Nhân Pham-Thi
- Allergology Department, Pasteur Institute, 25-28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724 Paris 15, France
| | - Pascal Poncet
- Allergy & Environment Team, Biochemistry Department, Armand Trousseau Children Hospital (AP-HP), 26 avenue du Dr. Arnold Netter, 75571 Paris, France
- Infections & Epidemiology Department, Pasteur Institute, 25-28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724 Paris 15, France
| | - Jean-Pierre Sutra
- Allergy & Environment Team, Biochemistry Department, Armand Trousseau Children Hospital (AP-HP), 26 avenue du Dr. Arnold Netter, 75571 Paris, France
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Kim H, Waserman S, Hébert J, Blaiss M, Nelson H, Creticos P, Kaur A, Maloney J, Li Z, Nolte H. Efficacy and safety of ragweed sublingual immunotherapy in Canadian patients with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis. Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol 2014; 10:55. [PMID: 25788949 PMCID: PMC4363352 DOI: 10.1186/1710-1492-10-55] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2014] [Accepted: 10/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Currently accepted therapies for ragweed allergy in North America consist of pharmacotherapy and subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy injections to treat symptoms. Allergen immunotherapy not only reduces symptoms and the need for pharmacotherapy but has also been shown to have disease-modifying potential. Recently, ragweed immunotherapy administered via sublingual allergen tablet has been approved in North America for treatment of allergic rhinitis with and without conjunctivitis. Methods This was an analysis of pooled data for a prespecified subgroup of Canadian subjects from two multicentre, randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trials of ragweed sublingual tablet (SLIT-T; 6 and 12 Amb a 1-U of Ambrosia artemisiifolia) in patients aged ≥18y, with ragweed-induced allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (AR/C) with or without asthma. Randomized subjects used once-daily ragweed SLIT-T or placebo for at least 12 weeks before the ragweed season and for up to 52 weeks post-randomization. The primary efficacy endpoint was the total combined score (TCS) based on the sum of AR/C daily symptom score (DSS) and daily medication score (DMS) averaged over the peak season. Treatment effects on TCS, DSS, and DMS in the entire season were also assessed. Adverse events (AEs) were monitored to assess safety. Results 337 Canadian subjects were randomized in the two trials. During the peak season, ragweed SLIT-T 6 and 12 Amb a 1-U significantly reduced TCS by 26% (difference, -2.46 score point; p = .0009) and 40% (difference, -3.75 score point; p < .0001), respectively. In the overall population (N = 961), TCS reductions with 6 and 12 Amb a 1-U were 20% and 23%, respectively (both p < .001). Clinically meaningful reductions in entire-season TCS in Canadians were similar to those during peak ragweed season. Dose-dependent reduction of DSS and DMS was also observed for ragweed SLIT-T 6 and 12 Amb a 1-U during the peak season and the entire season. Ragweed SLIT-T was well tolerated in Canadian subjects and the overall population. Adverse events were generally mild to moderate and transient, occurring early in treatment; no systemic allergic reaction/anaphylaxis was noted. Conclusion Ragweed SLIT-T is an effective form of immunotherapy that provides symptomatic efficacy of AR/C with a favorable risk profile in Canadian and overall populations. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov identifiers NCT00783198 and NCT00770315.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harold Kim
- McMaster University, Hamilton, ON Canada ; Western University, London, ON Canada ; 525 Belmont Ave West, Suite 205, Kitchener, ON N2M 5E2 Canada
| | | | - Jacques Hébert
- Centre de Recherche Appliquée en Allergie de Québec, Québec, QC Canada
| | - Michael Blaiss
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN USA
| | | | - Peter Creticos
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA ; Creticos Research Group, Crownsville, MD USA
| | | | | | - Ziliang Li
- Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ USA
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Ambrosia pollen in Tulsa, Oklahoma: aerobiology, trends, and forecasting model development. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2014; 113:641-6. [PMID: 25240331 DOI: 10.1016/j.anai.2014.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2014] [Revised: 07/30/2014] [Accepted: 08/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ambrosia pollen is an important aeroallergen in North America; the ability to predict daily pollen levels may provide an important benefit for sensitive individuals. OBJECTIVE To analyze the long-term Ambrosia pollen counts and develop a forecasting model to predict the next day's pollen concentration. METHODS Airborne pollen has been collected since December 1986 with a Burkard spore trap at the University of Tulsa. Summary statistics and season metrics were calculated for the 27 years of data. Concentration and previous-day meteorologic data from 1987 to 2011 were used to develop a multiple regression model to predict pollen levels for the following day. Model output was compared to 2012 and 2013 ragweed pollen data. RESULTS The Tulsa ragweed season extends from the middle of August to late October. The mean start date is August 22, the mean peak date is September 10, and the mean end date is October 20. The mean cumulative season total is 11,599 pollen/m(3), and the mean daily concentration is 197 pollen/m(3). Previous-day meteorologic and phenologic data were positively related to pollen concentration (P < .001). Precipitation was modeled as a dichotomous variable. The final model included minimum temperature, dichotomous precipitation, dew point, and phenology variable (R = 0.7146, P < .001). Analysis of the model's accuracy revealed that the model was highly representative of the 2012 and 2013 seasons (R = 0.680, P < .001). CONCLUSION Multiple regression models may be useful in explaining the variability of Ambrosia pollen levels. Further testing of the modeling parameters in different geographical areas is needed.
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Csillag A, Kumar BV, Szabó K, Szilasi M, Papp Z, Szilasi ME, Pázmándi K, Boldogh I, Rajnavölgyi É, Bácsi A, László JF. Exposure to inhomogeneous static magnetic field beneficially affects allergic inflammation in a murine model. J R Soc Interface 2014; 11:20140097. [PMID: 24647908 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2014.0097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous observations suggest that static magnetic field (SMF)-exposure acts on living organisms partly through reactive oxygen species (ROS) reactions. In this study, we aimed to define the impact of SMF-exposure on ragweed pollen extract (RWPE)-induced allergic inflammation closely associated with oxidative stress. Inhomogeneous SMF was generated with an apparatus validated previously providing a peak-to-peak magnetic induction of the dominant SMF component 389 mT by 39 T m(-1) lateral gradient in the in vivo and in vitro experiments, and 192 mT by 19 T m(-1) in the human study at the 3 mm target distance. Effects of SMF-exposure were studied in a murine model of allergic inflammation and also in human provoked skin allergy. We found that even a single 30-min exposure of mice to SMF immediately following intranasal RWPE challenge significantly lowered the increase in the total antioxidant capacity of the airways and decreased allergic inflammation. Repeated (on 3 consecutive days) or prolonged (60 min) exposure to SMF after RWPE challenge decreased the severity of allergic responses more efficiently than a single 30-min treatment. SMF-exposure did not alter ROS production by RWPE under cell-free conditions, while diminished RWPE-induced increase in the ROS levels in A549 epithelial cells. Results of the human skin prick tests indicated that SMF-exposure had no significant direct effect on provoked mast cell degranulation. The observed beneficial effects of SMF are likely owing to the mobilization of cellular ROS-eliminating mechanisms rather than direct modulation of ROS production by pollen NAD(P)H oxidases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anikó Csillag
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, , 98 Nagyerdei Boulevard, Debrecen 4012, Hungary
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Talbott SM, Talbott JA, Talbott TL, Dingler E. β-Glucan supplementation, allergy symptoms, and quality of life in self-described ragweed allergy sufferers. Food Sci Nutr 2014; 1:90-101. [PMID: 24804018 PMCID: PMC3951572 DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2012] [Revised: 10/31/2012] [Accepted: 11/06/2012] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
This randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study compared the effects of daily supplementation for 4 week with 250 mg Wellmune WGP® β-1,3/1,6-Glucan (WGP) with placebo 250 mg/day (rice flour) on physical and psychological health attributes of self-described “moderate” ragweed allergy sufferers. Study participants (mean age = 36 ± 9 year; range 18–53 year) were recruited before the beginning of ragweed season (September) in Northeastern Ohio. Serum IgE concentration, allergy symptoms [via self-report, Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ)], psychological well-being [Profile of Mood States (POMS)], and physical function (RAND SF-36 Medical Outcomes Study) were measured immediately prior to and after supplementation with WGP (n = 24) or placebo (n = 24) for 4 weeks. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analyses of variance (ANOVA). Compared with placebo, WGP reduced total allergy symptoms (28%), symptom severity (52%), and symptom rating on the VAS (37%) (P < 0.05), but had no effect on serum IgE levels. As measured by the POMS, WGP increased participants' rating of vigor (10%), but reduced tension (34%), depression (45%), anger (41%), fatigue (38%), and confusion (34%) (P < 0.05). Study participants given WGP reported increased physical health (11%), energy (19%), and emotional well-being (7%) compared with study participants given the placebo (RAND SF-36 Medical Outcomes Study). The WGP group also reported decreased sleep problems (53%), reduced nasal symptoms (59%), eye symptoms (57%), non-nasal symptoms (50%), activities (53%), emotions (57%), and improved quality of life (QOL) (56%), as well as improved global mood state (13%). Supplementation with WGP for 4 weeks improved allergy symptoms, overall physical health, and emotional well-being compared with placebo in self-described “moderate” ragweed allergy sufferers during ragweed allergy season.
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Chapman DS, Haynes T, Beal S, Essl F, Bullock JM. Phenology predicts the native and invasive range limits of common ragweed. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2014; 20:192-202. [PMID: 24038855 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2013] [Accepted: 08/14/2013] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Accurate models for species' distributions are needed to forecast the progress and impacts of alien invasive species and assess potential range-shifting driven by global change. Although this has traditionally been achieved through data-driven correlative modelling, robustly extrapolating these models into novel climatic conditions is challenging. Recently, a small number of process-based or mechanistic distribution models have been developed to complement the correlative approaches. However, tests of these models are lacking, and there are very few process-based models for invasive species. We develop a method for estimating the range of a globally invasive species, common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.), from a temperature- and photoperiod-driven phenology model. The model predicts the region in which ragweed can reach reproductive maturity before frost kills the adult plants in autumn. This aligns well with the poleward and high-elevation range limits in its native North America and in invaded Europe, clearly showing that phenological constraints determine the cold range margins of the species. Importantly, this is a 'forward' prediction made entirely independently of the distribution data. Therefore, it allows a confident and biologically informed forecasting of further invasion and range shifting driven by climate change. For ragweed, such forecasts are extremely important as the species is a serious crop weed and its airborne pollen is a major cause of allergy and asthma in humans. Our results show that phenology can be a key determinant of species' range margins, so integrating phenology into species distribution models offers great potential for the mechanistic modelling of range dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S Chapman
- NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Edinburgh, EH26 0QB, UK
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Smith M, Cecchi L, Skjøth CA, Karrer G, Šikoparija B. Common ragweed: a threat to environmental health in Europe. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2013; 61:115-26. [PMID: 24140540 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2013.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2013] [Revised: 08/10/2013] [Accepted: 08/13/2013] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Common or short ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) is an annual herb belonging to the Asteraceae family that was described by Carl Linnaeus in the 18th century. It is a noxious invasive species that is an important weed in agriculture and a source of highly allergenic pollen. The importance placed on A. artemisiifolia is reflected by the number of international projects that have now been launched by the European Commission and the increasing number of publications being produced on this topic. This review paper examines existing knowledge about ragweed ecology, distribution and flowering phenology and the environmental health risk that this noxious plant poses in Europe. The paper also examines control measures used in the fight against it and state of the art methods for modelling atmospheric concentrations of this important aeroallergen. Common ragweed is an environmental health threat, not only in its native North America but also in many parts of the world where it has been introduced. In Europe, where the plant has now become naturalised and frequently forms part of the flora, the threat posed by ragweed has been identified and steps are being taken to reduce further geographical expansion and limit increases in population densities of the plant in order to protect the allergic population. This is particularly important when one considers possible range shifts, changes in flowering phenology and increases in the amount of pollen and allergenic potency that could be brought about by changes in climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Smith
- Research Group Aerobiology and Pollen Information, Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
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Pazmandi K, Kumar BV, Szabo K, Boldogh I, Szoor A, Vereb G, Veres A, Lanyi A, Rajnavolgyi E, Bacsi A. Ragweed subpollen particles of respirable size activate human dendritic cells. PLoS One 2012; 7:e52085. [PMID: 23251688 PMCID: PMC3522620 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0052085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2012] [Accepted: 11/09/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) pollen grains, which are generally considered too large to reach the lower respiratory tract, release subpollen particles (SPPs) of respirable size upon hydration. These SPPs contain allergenic proteins and functional NAD(P)H oxidases. In this study, we examined whether exposure to SPPs initiates the activation of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDCs). We found that treatment with freshly isolated ragweed SPPs increased the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in moDCs. Phagocytosis of SPPs by moDCs, as demonstrated by confocal laser-scanning microscopy, led to an up-regulation of the cell surface expression of CD40, CD80, CD86, and HLA-DQ and an increase in the production of IL-6, TNF-α, IL-8, and IL-10. Furthermore, SPP-treated moDCs had an increased capacity to stimulate the proliferation of naïve T cells. Co-culture of SPP-treated moDCs with allogeneic CD3+ pan-T cells resulted in increased secretion of IFN-γ and IL-17 by T cells of both allergic and non-allergic subjects, but induced the production of IL-4 exclusively from the T cells of allergic individuals. Addition of exogenous NADPH further increased, while heat-inactivation or pre-treatment with diphenyleneiodonium (DPI), an inhibitor of NADPH oxidases, strongly diminished, the ability of SPPs to induce phenotypic and functional changes in moDCs, indicating that these processes were mediated, at least partly, by the intrinsic NAD(P)H oxidase activity of SPPs. Collectively, our data suggest that inhaled ragweed SPPs are fully capable of activating dendritic cells (DCs) in the airways and SPPs' NAD(P)H oxidase activity is involved in initiation of adaptive immune responses against innocuous pollen proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kitti Pazmandi
- Department of Immunology, Medical and Health Science Center, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Brahma V. Kumar
- Department of Immunology, Medical and Health Science Center, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Krisztina Szabo
- Department of Immunology, Medical and Health Science Center, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Istvan Boldogh
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Arpad Szoor
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Medical and Health Science Center, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Gyorgy Vereb
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Medical and Health Science Center, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Agota Veres
- Department of Immunology, Medical and Health Science Center, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Arpad Lanyi
- Department of Immunology, Medical and Health Science Center, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Eva Rajnavolgyi
- Department of Immunology, Medical and Health Science Center, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Attila Bacsi
- Department of Immunology, Medical and Health Science Center, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- * E-mail:
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Besancenot JP, Thibaudon M. Changement climatique et pollinisation. Rev Mal Respir 2012; 29:1238-53. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rmr.2012.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2012] [Accepted: 07/17/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Zemmer F, Karaca F, Ozkaragoz F. Ragweed pollen observed in Turkey: detection of sources using back trajectory models. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2012; 430:101-8. [PMID: 22634556 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.04.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2011] [Revised: 04/25/2012] [Accepted: 04/27/2012] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
This paper discusses the pollen season and the source apportionment of ragweed (Ambrosia) grains detected in the atmosphere of Istanbul, Turkey. The dynamic migration of this invasive taxon is a serious environmental issue. Ragweed pollen is highly allergenic and causes sensitization in patients at low concentrations. At present, there is no floristic evidence of this taxon in the region. Aerobiological records presented here, though, indicate a local source. Moreover, we argue that ragweed pollen comes from distant sources through air mass movements. The analysis concerns the ragweed season 2007. Pollens were sampled with a Burkard trap and identified at a magnification of 400 ×. Grains were counted on 12 transverse traverses to estimate bi-hourly changes in concentrations. The peak day was on August 28 with 20 grainsm(-3). Ragweed was observed on 22 days during August and September 2007. On all days, except one, the daily average concentration was below 10 grainsm(-3). Diurnal bi-hourly ragweed concentrations reached a maximum at 11:00 EET. Relatively high concentrations were observed between 21:00 and 01:00 EET. This allowed for the assumption of a local and a remote ragweed pollen source. We used HYSPLIT backward trajectory ensembles to identify possible sources on peak day. A frequency analysis of back trajectories covering the entire ragweed season followed. Firstly, possible local sources were the Istanbul Province and Turkish Thrace; secondly, a likely over-regional source was Bulgaria; and lastly, remote sources of ragweed pollen were the Ukraine, the Russian coastal region of the Black Sea and Moldova. This study provides evidence that pollens detected on our receptor site stem from combined local and remote origins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Zemmer
- Fatih University, Department of Biology, 34500 Buyukcekmece, Istanbul, Turkey.
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Pasqualini S, Tedeschini E, Frenguelli G, Wopfner N, Ferreira F, D'Amato G, Ederli L. Ozone affects pollen viability and NAD(P)H oxidase release from Ambrosia artemisiifolia pollen. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2011; 159:2823-30. [PMID: 21605929 PMCID: PMC3173721 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2011.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2010] [Revised: 04/29/2011] [Accepted: 05/01/2011] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Air pollution is frequently proposed as a cause of the increased incidence of allergy in industrialised countries. We investigated the impact of ozone (O(3)) on reactive oxygen species (ROS) and allergen content of ragweed pollen (Ambrosia artemisiifolia). Pollen was exposed to acute O(3) fumigation, with analysis of pollen viability, ROS and nitric oxide (NO) content, activity of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAD[P]H) oxidase, and expression of major allergens. There was decreased pollen viability after O(3) fumigation, which indicates damage to the pollen membrane system, although the ROS and NO contents were not changed or were only slightly induced, respectively. Ozone exposure induced a significant enhancement of the ROS-generating enzyme NAD(P)H oxidase. The expression of the allergen Amb a 1 was not affected by O(3), determined from the mRNA levels of the major allergens. We conclude that O(3) can increase ragweed pollen allergenicity through stimulation of ROS-generating NAD(P)H oxidase.
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