title: Pollen augments the influence of desert dust on symptoms of adult asthma patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  East Asian desert dust storms that occur during mainly spring are called Asian dust storms (ADS). Our objective was to study the association of pollen and ADS with symptoms of adult asthma patients in Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  We designed a telephone survey to investigate the upper and lower respiratory, ocular, and skin symptoms of asthma patients during ADS in February, March, and December on 2009. Peak expiratory flow (PEF) was also measured from February to May.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We surveyed 106 patients in February, 101 patients in March, and 103 patients in December. In February and March, Japanese cedar and/or cypress pollen was also in the atmosphere during ADS, but no pollen was identified during December survey. Worsening of upper or lower respiratory, ocular, or skin symptoms was noted by 20.8% of patients in February, 33.7% in March, and 16.5% in December. Worsening of symptoms was significantly more common in March than in February or December. Two patients needed emergency treatment for exacerbation during ADS in March, but no patient needed hospitalization in any period. There was no significant difference of the daily morning PEF/personal best PEF ratio between ADS days and control days. However, in patients with worsening of upper and/or lower respiratory tract symptoms, the daily morning PEF/personal best ratio was significantly associated with the atmospheric level of particulate matter, but not with levels of pollen or other air pollutants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pollen augmented symptoms in adult asthma patients, but ADS on its own also were able to aggravate symptoms and pulmonary function.
authors: Department of Respirology and Rheumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Tottori, Japan. watanabm@grape.med.tottori-u.ac.jp
authors: Masanari
authors: M
authors: Watanabe
authors: Tadashi
authors: T
authors: Igishi
authors: Naoto
authors: N
authors: Burioka
authors: Akira
authors: A
authors: Yamasaki
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Kurai
authors: Hiromi
authors: H
authors: Takeuchi
authors: Takanori
authors: T
authors: Sako
authors: Atsushi
authors: A
authors: Yoshida
authors: Kazuhiko
authors: K
authors: Yoneda
authors: Yasushi
authors: Y
authors: Fukuoka
authors: Masaki
authors: M
authors: Nakamoto
authors: Yasuyuki
authors: Y
authors: Hasegawa
authors: Hiroki
authors: H
authors: Chikumi
authors: Shingo
authors: S
authors: Matsumoto
authors: Sayaka
authors: S
authors: Minato
authors: Kazunori
authors: K
authors: Horasaki
authors: Eiji
authors: E
authors: Shimizu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D003889:Desert Climate / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000633:toxicity*; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D000485:Allergens; D052638:Particulate Matter