title: Geographic and temporal variations in pollen exposure across Europe.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The EC-funded EuroPrevall project examined the prevalence of food allergy across Europe. A well-established factor in the occurrence of food allergy is primary sensitization to pollen.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To analyse geographic and temporal variations in pollen exposure, allowing the investigation of how these variations influence the prevalence and incidence of food allergies across Europe.
  
  
  METHODS
  Airborne pollen data for two decades (1990-2009) were obtained from 13 monitoring sites located as close as possible to the EuroPrevall survey centres. Start dates, intensity and duration of Betulaceae, Oleaceae, Poaceae and Asteraceae pollen seasons were examined. Mean, slope of the regression, probability level (P) and dominant taxa (%) were calculated. Trends were considered significant at P < 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On a European scale, Betulaceae, in particular Betula, is the most dominant pollen exposure, two folds higher than to Poaceae, and greater than five folds higher than to Oleaceae and Asteraceae. Only in Reykjavik, Madrid and Derby was Poaceae the dominant pollen, as was Oleaceae in Thessaloniki. Weed pollen (Asteraceae) was never dominant, exposure accounted for >10% of total pollen exposure only in Siauliai (Artemisia) and Legnano (Ambrosia). Consistent trends towards changing intensity or duration of exposure were not observed, possibly with the exception of (not significant) decreased exposure to Artemisia and increased exposure to Ambrosia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first comprehensive study quantifying exposure to the major allergenic pollen families Betulaceae, Oleaceae, Poaceae and Asteraceae across Europe. These data can now be used for studies into patterns of sensitization and allergy to pollen and foods.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jäger
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sikoparija
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hallsdottir
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sauliene
authors.forename: K-C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Bergmann
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Pashley
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: de Weger
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Majkowska-Wojciechowska
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rybníček
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thibaudon
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gehrig
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bonini
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yankova
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Damialis
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vokou
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez Bustillo
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hoffmann-Sommergruber
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van Ree
mesh_terms: D003429:Cross Reactions; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D011058:Pollen / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology; D015995:Prevalence; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology
keywords: Asteraceae; Betulaceae; Oleaceae; Poaceae; epidemiology