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Gierlicka I, Kasprzyk I, Wnuk M. Imaging Flow Cytometry as a Quick and Effective Identification Technique of Pollen Grains from Betulaceae, Oleaceae, Urticaceae and Asteraceae. Cells 2022; 11:cells11040598. [PMID: 35203248 PMCID: PMC8870286 DOI: 10.3390/cells11040598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the continuous and intensive development of laboratory techniques, a light microscope is still the most common tool used in pollen grains differentiation. However, microscopy is time-consuming and needs well-educated and experienced researchers. Other currently used techniques can be categorised as images and non-images analysis, but each has certain limitations. We propose a new approach to differentiate pollen grains using the Imaging Flow Cytometry (IFC) technique. It allows for high-throughput fluorescence data recording, which, in contrast to the standard FC, also enables real-time control of the results thanks to the possibility of digital image recording of cells flowing through the measuring capillary. The developed method allows us to determine the characteristics of the pollen grains population based on the obtained fluorescence data, using various combinations of parameters available in the IDEAS software, which can be analysed on different fluorescence channels. On this basis, we distinguished pollen grains both between and within different genera belonging to the Betulaceae, Oleaceae, Urticaceae and Asteraceae families. Thereby, we prove that the proposed methodology is sufficient for accurate, fast, and cost-effective identification and potentially can be used in the routine analysis of allergenic pollen grains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iwona Gierlicka
- Department of Biology, Institute of Biology and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences, University of Rzeszow, Pigonia 1, 35-310 Rzeszow, Poland; (I.G.); (I.K.)
| | - Idalia Kasprzyk
- Department of Biology, Institute of Biology and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences, University of Rzeszow, Pigonia 1, 35-310 Rzeszow, Poland; (I.G.); (I.K.)
| | - Maciej Wnuk
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Biology and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences, University of Rzeszow, Pigonia 1, 35-310 Rzeszow, Poland
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +48-17-851-86-09
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Travaglini A, Brighetti MA, Della Giustina A, Pattini S, Sfika I, Malizia V, Tripodi S, Di Menno di Bucchianico A. Approximate or accurate? Efficacy of daily use of weather and air quality mobile applications for pollen allergy sufferers? Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2022; 33 Suppl 27:41-43. [PMID: 35080313 DOI: 10.1111/pai.13626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Nowadays, technology permeates every aspect of human activity, from the professional to the recreational side, and the recent pandemic crisis has only amplified a clearly defined trend. Through portable devices, people play, work, and get information. The immediacy of information and of many aspects of our life is a condition that, once acquired, is difficult to give up. However, immediate information must also be correct, and not all issues can easily be simplified to the point of being understandable in the absence of basic theoretical notions to a large audience. This aspect is particularly relevant when dealing with issues related to human health and the communication problems encountered in recent months concerning the spread of SARS-CoV-2, and the vaccination campaign is there to prove it. With the intent of clarifying the advantages and disadvantages of fast and accessible information, in this article, some of the most widespread applications for mobile devices, dedicated to pollen allergens, air quality, parks, gardens, and green areas, were examined. A widespread lack of clarity on the sources of the data and on the criteria used to formulate synthetic judgments-that often confuse the final users-was noted.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Stefano Pattini
- Pediatric Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences of the Mother, Children and Adults, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | | | - Velia Malizia
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council (CNR), Palermo, Italy
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D’Amato G, Chong‐Neto HJ, Monge Ortega OP, Vitale C, Ansotegui I, Rosario N, Haahtela T, Galan C, Pawankar R, Murrieta‐Aguttes M, Cecchi L, Bergmann C, Ridolo E, Ramon G, Gonzalez Diaz S, D’Amato M, Annesi‐Maesano I. The effects of climate change on respiratory allergy and asthma induced by pollen and mold allergens. Allergy 2020; 75:2219-2228. [PMID: 32589303 DOI: 10.1111/all.14476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The impact of climate change on the environment, biosphere, and biodiversity has become more evident in the recent years. Human activities have increased atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) and other greenhouse gases. Change in climate and the correlated global warming affects the quantity, intensity, and frequency of precipitation type as well as the frequency of extreme events such as heat waves, droughts, thunderstorms, floods, and hurricanes. Respiratory health can be particularly affected by climate change, which contributes to the development of allergic respiratory diseases and asthma. Pollen and mold allergens are able to trigger the release of pro-inflammatory and immunomodulatory mediators that accelerate the onset the IgE-mediated sensitization and of allergy. Allergy to pollen and pollen season at its beginning, in duration and intensity are altered by climate change. Studies showed that plants exhibit enhanced photosynthesis and reproductive effects and produce more pollen as a response to high atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide (CO2 ). Mold proliferation is increased by floods and rainy storms are responsible for severe asthma. Pollen and mold allergy is generally used to evaluate the interrelation between air pollution and allergic respiratory diseases, such as rhinitis and asthma. Thunderstorms during pollen seasons can cause exacerbation of respiratory allergy and asthma in patients with hay fever. A similar phenomenon is observed for molds. Measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions can have positive health benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gennaro D’Amato
- Division of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases Department of Chest Diseases High Specialty A. Cardarelli Hospital Napoli Italy
- Medical School of Specialization in Respiratory Diseases University on Naples Federico II Napoli Italy
| | | | | | - Carolina Vitale
- Department of Medicine and Surgery University of Salerno Baronissi Italy
| | - Ignacio Ansotegui
- Department of Allergy and Immunology Hospital Quirónsalud Bizkaia Erandio Bilbao Spain
| | - Nelson Rosario
- Allergy and Immunology Division Federal University of Paraná Curitiba Brazil
| | - Tari Haahtela
- Department of Dermatology, Allergology and Venereology University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Carmen Galan
- Department of Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology University of Cordoba Cordoba Spain
| | - Ruby Pawankar
- Nippon Medical School Department of Pediatrics Tokyo Japan
| | | | - Lorenzo Cecchi
- Department of SOS Allergy and Clinical Immunology USL Toscana Centro Prato Prato Italy
| | - Christian Bergmann
- Arzt für Lungen‐ und Bronchialheilkunde Innere Medizin Allergologie Klinik für Dermatologie Venerologie und Allergologie Charité ‐ Universitätsmedizin Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Erminia Ridolo
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine University of Parma Parma Italy
| | - German Ramon
- Instituto de Alergia e Inmunología del Sur Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Sandra Gonzalez Diaz
- Titular Centro Regional de Alergia e Inmunología Clínica Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon San Nicolás de los Garza Mexico
| | - Maria D’Amato
- First Division of Pneumology High Speciality Hospital ‘V. Monaldi’ and University ‘Federico II’ Medical School Naples Napoli Italy
| | - Isabella Annesi‐Maesano
- Research Director at the French NIH (INSERM) and Responsible of the EPAR Department IPLESP INSERM and Sorbonne University Paris France
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Katz DS, Morris JR, Batterman SA. Pollen production for 13 urban North American tree species: Allometric equations for tree trunk diameter and crown area. Aerobiologia (Bologna) 2020; 36:401-415. [PMID: 33343061 PMCID: PMC7748260 DOI: 10.1007/s10453-020-09638-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Estimates of airborne pollen concentrations at the urban scale would be useful for epidemiologists, land managers, and allergy sufferers. Mechanistic models could be well suited for this task, but their development will require data on pollen production across cities, including estimates of pollen production by individual trees. In this study, we developed predictive models for pollen production as a function of trunk size, canopy area, and height, which are commonly recorded in tree surveys or readily extracted from remote sensing data. Pollen production was estimated by measuring the number of flowers per tree, the number of anthers per flower, and the number of pollen grains per anther. Variability at each morphological scale was assessed using bootstrapping. Pollen production was estimated for the following species: Acer negundo, Acer platanoides, Acer rubrum, Acer saccharinum, Betula papyrifera, Gleditsia triacanthos, Juglans nigra, Morus alba, Platanus x acerfolia, Populus deltoides, Quercus palustris, Quercus rubra, and Ulmus americana. Basal area predicted pollen production with a mean R2 of 0.72 (range: 0.41 - 0.99), whereas canopy area predicted pollen production with a mean R2 of 0.76 (range: 0.50 - 0.99). These equations are applied to two tree datasets to estimate total municipal pollen production and the spatial distribution of street tree pollen production for the focal species. We present some of the first individual-tree based estimates of pollen production at the municipal scale; the observed spatial heterogeneity in pollen production is substantial and can feasibly be included in mechanistic models of airborne pollen at fine spatial scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S.W. Katz
- School of Public Health, University of Michigan –
Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jonathan R. Morris
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of
Michigan – Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Katz DSW, Batterman SA. Urban-scale variation in pollen concentrations: A single station is insufficient to characterize daily exposure. Aerobiologia (Bologna) 2020; 36:417-431. [PMID: 33456131 PMCID: PMC7810344 DOI: 10.1007/s10453-020-09641-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiological analyses of airborne allergenic pollen often use concentration measurements from a single station to represent exposure across a city, but this approach does not account for the spatial variation of concentrations within the city. Because there are few descriptions of urban-scale variation, the resulting exposure measurement error is unknown but potentially important for epidemiological studies. This study examines urban scale variation in pollen concentrations by measuring pollen concentrations of 13 taxa over 24-hr periods twice weekly at 25 sites in two seasons in Detroit, Michigan. Spatio-temporal variation is described using cumulative distribution functions and regression models. Daily pollen concentrations across the 25 stations varied considerably, and the average quartile coefficient of dispersion was 0.63. Measurements at a single site explained 3-85% of the variation at other sites, depending on the taxon, and 95% prediction intervals of pollen concentrations generally spanned one to two orders of magnitude. These results demonstrate considerable heterogeneity of pollen levels at the urban scale, and suggest that the use of a single monitoring site will not reflect pollen exposure over an urban area and can lead to sizable measurement error in epidemiological studies, particularly when a daily time-step is used. These errors might be reduced by using predictive daily pollen levels in models that combine vegetation maps, pollen production estimates, phenology models and dispersion processes, or by using coarser time-steps in the epidemiological analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S W Katz
- University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Environmental Health Sciences, 1415 Washington Heights Rd., Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Stuart A Batterman
- University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Environmental Health Sciences, 1415 Washington Heights Rd., Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Vaverková MD, Adamcová D, Winkler J, Koda E, Červenková J, Podlasek A. Influence of a Municipal Solid Waste Landfill on the Surrounding Environment: Landfill Vegetation as a Potential Risk of Allergenic Pollen. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019; 16:E5064. [PMID: 31842278 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16245064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
When the landfill use comes to end, important subsequent steps include aftercare, safety assurance, and ecological regeneration. Landfill revegetation is cost-effective and eco-friendly approach in the management of landfill areas, which serves the purpose of stabilization and provides a pleasant landscape. There are various vegetation types that can be planted, yet grass species are often used for low-cost reasons. Plants can be important sources of air pollution, particularly by grass pollen. The main goal of our study was to identify plant species that produce allergenic pollen. Long-term vegetation monitoring took place on three sites in the growing seasons of years 2008–2018. Studied objects were landfills located in the Czech Republic. The vegetation was assessed using a floristic survey of identified plant species. Plant species that produced allergens were recorded. During the monitoring, 298 plant species were determined. Plant species with allergenic pollen have a considerable share in the landfill vegetation. Thus, landfills are potential sources of various kinds of allergenic pollen. Moreover, our results indicated that there are three periods of pollen production: early spring, late spring, and early summer; late summer; and autumn. The second period is typical for the production of highly allergenic pollen by grasses. Most detected plant species with allergenic pollen are common for all monitored sites, which demonstrates that the vegetation of landfills is a significant source of allergenic pollen.
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Rogers CA, Wayne PM, Macklin EA, Muilenberg ML, Wagner CJ, Epstein PR, Bazzaz FA. Interaction of the onset of spring and elevated atmospheric CO2 on ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) pollen production. Environ Health Perspect 2006; 114:865-9. [PMID: 16759986 PMCID: PMC1480488 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.8549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide is responsible for climate changes that are having widespread effects on biological systems. One of the clearest changes is earlier onset of spring and lengthening of the growing season. We designed the present study to examine the interactive effects of timing of dormancy release of seeds with low and high atmospheric CO2 on biomass, reproduction, and phenology in ragweed plants (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.), which produce highly allergenic pollen. We released ragweed seeds from dormancy at three 15-day intervals and grew plants in climate-controlled glass-houses at either ambient or 700-ppm CO2 concentrations, placing open-top bags over influorescences to capture pollen. Measurements of plant height and weight; inflorescence number, weight, and length; and days to anthesis and anthesis date were made on each plant, and whole-plant pollen productivity was estimated from an allometric-based model. Timing and CO2 interacted to influence pollen production. At ambient CO2 levels, the earlier cohort acquired a greater biomass, a higher average weight per inflorescence, and a larger number of influorescences; flowered earlier; and had 54.8% greater pollen production than did the latest cohort. At high CO2 levels, plants showed greater biomass and reproductive effort compared with those in ambient CO2 but only for later cohorts. In the early cohort, pollen production was similar under ambient and high CO2, but in the middle and late cohorts, high CO2 increased pollen production by 32% and 55%, respectively, compared with ambient CO2 levels. Overall, ragweed pollen production can be expected to increase significantly under predicted future climate conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine A Rogers
- Exposure Epidemiology and Risk Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Landmark Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.
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