title: Pollen Allergens for Molecular Diagnosis.
abstract: Pollen allergens are one of the main causes of type I allergies affecting up to 30% of the population in industrialized countries. Climatic changes affect the duration and intensity of pollen seasons and may together with pollution contribute to increased incidences of respiratory allergy and asthma. Allergenic grasses, trees, and weeds often present similar habitats and flowering periods compromising clinical anamnesis. Molecule-based approaches enable distinction between genuine sensitization and clinically mostly irrelevant IgE cross-reactivity due to, e. g., panallergens or carbohydrate determinants. In addition, sensitivity as well as specificity can be improved and lead to identification of the primary sensitizing source which is particularly beneficial regarding polysensitized patients. This review gives an overview on relevant pollen allergens and their usefulness in daily practice. Appropriate allergy diagnosis is directly influencing decisions for therapeutic interventions, and thus, reliable biomarkers are pivotal when considering allergen immunotherapy in the context of precision medicine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Straße 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pablos
authors.affiliation: Christian Doppler Laboratory for Biosimilar Characterization, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Straße 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wildner
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Straße 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Asam
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Straße 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wallner
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Straße 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria. Gabriele.Gadermaier@sbg.ac.at.|Christian Doppler Laboratory for Biosimilar Characterization, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Straße 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria. Gabriele.Gadermaier@sbg.ac.at.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gadermaier
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; D011058:Pollen / Q000009:adverse effects*; D065631:Rhinitis, Allergic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens
keywords: Grass pollen allergens; Molecule-based diagnosis; Pollen allergens; Tree pollen allergens; Weed pollen allergens