title: Seasonal asthma caused by airborne Platanus pollen.
abstract: This work describes three patients suffering from bronchial asthma after being naturally exposed to airborne plane-tree pollen. The three patients gave immediate response in skin tests and dual response in bronchial provocations using Platanus hybrida extract. There was specific seric IgE activity against this/these antigen(s) with the CAP system. The three patients also showed significant correlation (P < 0.001) between their rhinitis and asthma symptom-scores registered on their diary cards and plane-tree pollen counts, collected using the Burkard spore trap. Among 187 patients living in Madrid and who came to our centre with a history of rhinitis and/or seasonal asthma, we found a prevalence of positive skin-prick tests to Platanus of 56%, only surpassed by gramineous pollen (Dactylis glomerata and/or Trisetum paniceum) 92% and Olea europaea 63%. The aerobiological sampling of the pollen content of the air in Madrid, carried out between 1 January 1979 and 31 December 1993 revealed an airborne presence (per cent of total yearly pollen count, mean of 1979-1993) of 14.9% for the Platanus, 14.8% for grasses, 9.8% for Olea and 3.6% for Plantago. The Platanus is one of the most frequently found pollens in the atmosphere over Madrid. At present, in this geographical area, a high percentage of patients with pollinosis are sensitive to this pollen. At least in some of these patients Platanus pollen is capable of inducing rhinitis and bronchial asthma.
authors.affiliation: General Pardiñas Centre of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Subiza
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cabrera
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valdivieso
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Subiza
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jerez
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Jiménez
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Narganes
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Subiza
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000276:immunology; D000485:Allergens / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D001985:Bronchial Provocation Tests; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011058:Pollen / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015995:Prevalence; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D012621:Seasons; D012882:Skin Tests; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014197:Trees
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D000485:Allergens; D007073:Immunoglobulin E