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Allergenic pollens and pollinosis in Italy: recent advances
Author(s) -
Negrini A. C.,
Arobba D.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
allergy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.363
H-Index - 173
eISSN - 1398-9995
pISSN - 0105-4538
DOI - 10.1111/j.1398-9995.1992.tb02074.x
Subject(s) - urticaceae , oleaceae , cupressaceae , fagaceae , betulaceae , pollen , pinaceae , hay fever , botany , poaceae , polygonaceae , plantaginaceae , plantago , malpighiaceae , biology , allergy , immunology , pinus <genus>
The authors have mapped the occurrence of allergenic pollens throughout Italy and defined their most common clinical symptoms. To obtain an accurate aerobiological and clinical picture of such a geographically complex country as Italy, a detailed investigation was carried out involving 80 data‐gathering stations and 40 clinical centers nationwide. Three main pollination periods can be distinguished: winter‐pre‐spring (January to March) for Betulaceae, Corylaceae, Cupressaceae, Salicaceae and Ulmaceae: spring‐summer (April to June) for Gramineae, Urticaceae, Oleaceae, Plantago, Fagaceae, Pinaceae and Polygonaceae , and summer‐autumn (August to September) for Urticaceae, Composilae and Chenopodiaceae. Examination of 49660 patients affected by pollinosis (conjunctivitis, rhinitis, asthma, with positive skin tests or IgE‐specific serum determination: RAST, ELISA) throughout Italy revealed sensitivity to Gramineae in 64.6%, to Parietaria in 36.7% to Oka in 15.8%, to Compositae in 13.2%, to Betulaceae‐Corylaceae in 7% and to Fagaceae‐Cupressaceae‐Plantago in 4%–10%; marked regional variations were observed. The patients suffered from rhino‐conjunctivitis (55.7%), rhino‐conjunctivitis plus asthma (31.6%) and asthma (12.7%). In monosensitised individuals, Parietaria was seen to be the main cause of the asthmatic syndrome (though our preliminary data also implicate Olea followed by Grawmeae.