Skip to main content
Log in

Monitoring pollinosis and airborne pollen in a Rome university

  • Published:
Aerobiologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Pollen allergies and airborne pollen weremonitored at the University of Rome ``TorVergata'' in 1999 in order to determine theconcentration and the quality of airbornepollen belonging to allergenic plants inrelationship to the prevalence of pollenallergies.Airborne pollen was monitored by volumetrictrap while data on allergies were collectedthrough a questionnaire distributed to theUniversity personnel belonging to variousworking categories. Meteorological data wereobtained through a daily monitoring carried outby a meteorological station while plantanthesis identification was done at theHerbarium of the University.Results indicated that prevalent allergies weredue to Gramineae, Urticaceae and Oleaceaepollen. Many subjects suffering from allergiesdid not know the responsible allergen(s) andmore than half of the allergic subjects statedto have allergic relatives.Data on pollen monitoring and prevalence ofallergies, collected in the same geographicalarea, were found to be in accordance with eachother, with the exception of the case ofCupressaceae/Taxaceae plants, whose pollen wasfound in high concentration although no case ofallergy due to this pollen was established.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anzalone B.: 1984, Prodromo della Flora Romana, elenco preliminare delle piante vascolari spontanee del Lazio, Quaderno Lazio-natura. Regione Lazio, Soc Bot Ital 5 (Ser. Laziale).

  • Anzalone B.: 1994, Prodromo della Flora Romana, elenco preliminare delle piante vascolari spontanee del Lazio. Aggiornamento. Parte 1°. Ann Bot (Roma) 52(Suppl. 11), 1-81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anzalone B.: 1996, Prodromo della Flora Romana, elenco preliminare delle piante vascolari spontanee del Lazio, Aggiornamento. Parte 2°. Ann Bot (Roma) 54, 7-47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ballero M.: 1983, Rilevamenti aerobiologici nell'atmosfera di Cagliari. Rendiconti del Seminario della Facoltà di Scienze dell'Università di Cagliari 53, 197-198.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barletta B., Tinghino R., Corinti S., Afferi B., Iacovacci P., Mari A., Pini C. and Di Felice G.: 1998, Arizona cypress (Cupressus arizonica) pollen allergens. Identification of crossreactivity periodate-resistant and sensitive epitopes with monoclonal antibodies. Allergy 53, 72-85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Errigo E., Scarnati C. and Bruno G.: 1991, Le pollinosi nel Lazio. Giorn. It Allergol Immunol Clin 1, 547-549.

    Google Scholar 

  • European Allergy White Paper: 1997, Allergic Disease as a Public Health Problem. UCB Institute of Allergy, Belgium.

    Google Scholar 

  • Franchi G.G., Pacini E. and Rottoli P.: 1984, Pollen grain viability in Parietaria judaica L. during the long blooming period and correlation with meteorological conditions and allergic deseases. Giorn Bot It 118, 163-178.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gassner M., Kuntz M. and Wüthrich B.: 1996, Prevalence of pollinosis and sensitisation to aeroallergens in school children. Allergologie 19(Suppl. 9), 403-408.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grilli Caiola, M.: 1996, Aerobiological aspects of allergenic pollen in Latium. Int J Imm Pharm 9, 2-10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirst J.M.: 1952, An automatic volumetric spore trap. Annals of Applied Biology 39, 257-265.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hruska K. and Telloni M.E.: 1996, Rapporto tra le fenantesi delle allergofite e le manifestazioni allergeniche nella popolazione umana di Macerata (Italia Centrale). Giorn Bot It 130, 321.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kadocsa E. and Bittera I.: 1995, Prevalence of allergic rhinitis in Sreged, southern Hungary. Allergy 50(Suppl.), 162.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knox R.B., Taylor P., Lodgies P., Nelson G. and Suphioglu C.: 1998, Pollen allergens: Molecular and immunological analysis of implications for systematics. In: S.F. Owens and P.J. Rudale (eds), Reproductive Biology. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, pp. 449-463.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luscri M.F., Li Bianchi E., Fanti A., Scarnati C., Cecconi M.E. and Marinelli M.A.: 1996, True pollen allergy in Rome. Allergy 51(Suppl. 121), 388.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miki-Hirosige H., Nakamura S., Yasneda H., Shida T. and Takashashi Y.: 1994, Immunocytochemical localization of the allergenic proteins in the pollen of Cryptomeria japonica. Sex Plant Reprod 7, 95-100.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ong E.K., Singh M.B. and Knox R.B.: 1995, Aeroallergens of plant origin: Molecular basis and aerobiological significance. Aerobiologia 11, 219-229.

    Google Scholar 

  • Papa G., Boccia G., Quaratino D., Di Fonso Giuffreda F., Romano A., Venuti L. and Venuti A.: 1994, Studio della prevalenza di sensibilizzazione ad aeroallergeni in una popolazione di impiegati ed operai di uno stabilimento grafico e cartaio. Confronto con una popolazione scolastica. Congresso Nor. Ass. It. Aerobiologia Perugia, Ottobre, p. 26.

  • Puddu P.R., Giani M., Giorgina M.A., Girordelli C., Greco F., Riccarducci R. and Pirrella l.: 1994, Aspetti aerobiologici e clinico epidemiologici delle pollinosi nella zona nord-ovest di Roma. IV Congresso Naz. Ass. It. Aerobiologia. '94, Perugia, Italia.

  • Quaratino D., Papa G., Di Fonso M., Giuffreda F., Romano A. and Venuti A.: 1994, Studio della prevalenza delle cutipositività ad aeroallergeni con particolare riferimento ad Alternaria tenuis, Congresso Nor. Ass. It. Aerobiologia Perugia, Ottobre, p. 12.

  • Taniguchi Y., Ono A., Sawatani H., Nambe M., Kohno K., Usui M., Kurimoto M. and Matuhasi T.: 1995, Cry JI, a mayor allergen of Japanese cedar pollen, has pectate lyase enzyme activity. Allergy 50, 90-93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Travaglini A. and Grilli Caiola M.: 1996, Meteorological and Palinological station at University of Rome Tor Vergata. Int J Imm Pharm 9, 2-54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Travaglini A., Ravaziol D. and Grilli CaiolaM.: in press, Ameteorological station and a pollen trap of the Botanical Garden and Arboretum of the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Proceedings 6th Int. Congr. Aerobiology. Perugia 31 August-September 5, 1998.

  • Vervloet D., Haddi E., Tafforeau M., Lanteaume A., Kulling G. and Charpin D.: 1991, Reliability of respiratory sympthoms to dianose atopy. Clin Exp Allergy 21, 733-737.

    Google Scholar 

  • Von Mutius E.: 1998, The rising trends in asthma and allergic disease. Clin Exp Allergy 28(Suppl. 5), 170-174.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maria Grilli Caiola.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Caiola, M.G., Mazzitelli, A., Capucci, E. et al. Monitoring pollinosis and airborne pollen in a Rome university. Aerobiologia 18, 267–275 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021377716163

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021377716163

Navigation