Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Association between Japanese cedar and cypress pollen counts and climate factors over a 10-year period in Tsu city, Japan

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Aerobiologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Japanese cedar pollen and cypress pollen are the most common causes of seasonal allergic rhinitis in Japan. In the present study, we examined the relationship between climate factors and Japanese cedar and cypress pollen counts in Tsu city, Mie prefecture, Japan. Cedar and cypress pollen measurements were taken between 2009 and 2018 using a gravitational method (Durham’s sampler). Each year, during this 10-year period, measurements were taken daily from the beginning of February until the middle of May. The relationship between cedar and cypress pollen counts and the highest temperature, sunshine duration, and average humidity of a given year and the previous year were analyzed using multiple linear regression analysis. Sunshine duration in April of a given year and November of the previous year and average humidity in August of the previous year were associated with cedar and cypress pollen counts (R2 = 0.980, p < 0.000). Sunshine hours in April of a given year and temperature in August of the previous year were associated with cypress pollen counts; however, the temperature in October of the previous year was not (R2 = 0.872, p < 0.001). In addition, the temperature in January of a given year had an inverse association with cedar pollen counts (R2 = 0.338, p < 0.045). Thus, the evaluation of cedar and cypress pollen counts and weather conditions in Tsu city will provide valuable information to physicians for predicting pollen prevalence and treating patients with allergies effectively.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Altintaş, D. U., Karakoç, G. B., Yilmaz, M., Pinar, M., Kendirli, S. G., & Cakan, H. (2004). Relationship between pollen counts and weather variables in East-Mediterranean Coast of Turkey. Clinical and Developmental Immunology,11(1), 87–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Asher, M. I., Montefort, S., Björkstén, B., Lai, C. K., Strachan, D. P., Weiland, S. K., et al. (2006). Worldwide time trends in the prevalence of symptoms of asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, and eczema in childhood: ISAAC phases one and three repeat multicountry cross-sectional surveys. Lancet,368(9537), 733–743.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bajin, M. D., Cingi, C., Oghan, F., & Gurbuz, M. K. (2013). Global warming and allergy in Asia Minor. European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology,270(1), 27–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ballero, M., & Maxia, A. (2003). Pollen spectrum variations in the atmosphere of Cagliari, Italy. Aerobiologia,19(3–4), 251–259.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dąbrowska-Zapart, K., Chłopek, K., & Niedźwiedź, T. (2018). The impact of meteorological conditions on the concentration of alder pollen in Sosnowiec (Poland) in the years 1997–2017. Aerobiologia (Bologna),34(4), 469–485.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Enomoto, T., Onishi, S., Sogo, H., Dake, Y., Ikeda, H., Funakoshi, H., et al. (2004). Japanese cedar pollen in floating indoor house dust after a pollinating season. Allergology International,53(3), 279–285.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grantz, D. A. (1990). Plant response to atmospheric humidity. Plant, Cell and Environment,13(7), 667–679.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hansen, J., Sato, M., Ruedy, R., Lo, K., Lea, D. W., & Medina-Elizade, M. (2006). Global temperature change. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA,103(39), 14288–14293.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ishibashi, Y., Ohno, H., Oh-ishi, S., Matsuoka, T., Kizaki, T., & Yoshizumi, K. (2008). Characterization of pollen dispersion in the neighborhood of Tokyo, Japan in the Spring of 2005 and 2006. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health,5(1), 76–85.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ishii, K., Hamamoto, H., & Sekimizu, K. (2007). A novel method to suppress the dispersal of Japanese cedar pollen by inducing morphologic changes with weak alkaline solutions. Drug Discoveries and Therapeutics,1(2), 124–129.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ito, Y., Hattori, R., Mase, H., Watanabe, M., & Shiotani, I. (2008). Forecasting models for sugi (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) pollen count showing an alternate dispersal rhythm. Allergology International,57(4), 321–329.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kenda, Y., Teranishi, H., Kasuya, M., Katoh, T., & Taira, H. (1995). Relationships between atmospheric Sugi (Japanese cedar)-pollen counts and indices of climatic conditions. Nihon Koshu Eisei Zasshi,42(8), 553–558. (Japanese).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kishikawa, R., Oshikawa, C., Koto, E., Saito, A., Sahashi, N., Soh, N., et al. (2016). Longitudinal investigation on allergenic conifer pollen in Japan for successful prevention and treatment against Japanese Cedar pollinosis. Expert Opinion on Environmental Biology,5, 2.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kishikawa, R., Sahashi, N., Saitoh, A., Kotoh, E., Shimoda, T., Shoji, S., et al. (2009). Japanese Cedar airborne pollen monitoring by Durham’s and Burkard samplers in Japan—Estimation of the usefulness of Durham’s Sampler on Japanese Cedar pollinosis. Global Environmental Research,13, 55–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levin, M., Lemcoff, J. H., Cohen, S., & Kapulnik, Y. (2007). Low air humidity increases leaf-specific hydraulic conductance of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh (Brassicaceae). Journal of Experimental Botany,58(13), 3711–3718.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lo, F., Bitz, C. M., Battisti, D. S., & Hess, J. J. (2019). Pollen calendars and maps of allergenic pollen in North America. Aerobiologia,35(4), 613–633.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nakamura, S., Tsunoda, S., Sakaida, H., Masuda, S., Said, A. S., & Takeuchi, K. (2019). Analysis of factors associated with cedar pollen sensitization and development of pollinosis in a young Japanese adult population. Allergology International,68(1), 39–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Okamoto, Y., Horiguchi, S., Yamamoto, H., Yonekura, S., & Hanazawa, T. (2009). Present situation of cedar pollinosis in Japan and its immune responses. Allergology International,58(2), 155–162.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Osada, T., Tanaka, Y., Yamada, A., Sasaki, E., & Utsugi, T. (2018). Identification of Cha o 3 homolog Cry j 4 from Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese cedar) pollen: Limitation of the present Japanese cedar-specific ASIT. Allergology International,67(4), 467–474.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reid, C. E., & Gamble, J. L. (2009). Aeroallergens, allergic disease, and climate change: Impacts and adaptation. EcoHealth,6(3), 458–470.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saito, Y. (2014). Japanese cedar pollinosis: Discovery, nomenclature, and epidemiological trends. Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B,90(6), 203–210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt, C. W. (2016). Pollen oerload: Seasonal allergies in a changing climate. Environmental Health Perspectives,124(4), A70–A75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shea, K. M., Truckner, R. T., Weber, R. W., & Peden, D. B. (2008). Climate change and allergic disease. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology,122(3), 443–453.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silverberg, J. I., Braunstein, M., & Lee-Wong, M. (2015). Association between climate factors, pollen counts, and childhood hay fever prevalence in the United States. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology,135(2), 463–469.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taira, H., Teranishi, H., & Kenda, Y. (1988). The formation of pollen in male flowers and yearly atmospheric pollen counts of Cryptomeria japonica in the following year. Allergology International,47(4), 297–302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tibbitts, T. (1979). Humidity and plants. BioScience,29(6), 358–363.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Urashima, M., Asaka, D., Endo, T., Omae, S., Sugimoto, N., Takaishi, S., et al. (2018). Japanese cedar pollinosis in Tokyo residents born after massive national afforestation policy. Allergy,73(12), 2395–2397.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Veriankaitė, L., Siljamo, P., Sofiev, M., Sˇauliene, I., & Kukkonen, J. (2010). Modelling analysis of source regions of long-range transported birch pollen that influences allergenic seasons in Lithuania. Aerobiologia,26(1), 47–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watanabe, T., Suenage, S., Matsushita, F., & Suzuki, M. (2005). Prediction of atmospheric Japanese cedar pollen counts in Oita University Faculty of Medicine Complex. Arerugi,54(11), 1272–1278.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamada, T., Saito, H., & Fujieda, S. (2014). Present state of Japanese cedar pollinosis: The national affliction. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology,133(3), 632–639.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yamanaka, K., Shah, S. A., Sakaida, H., Yamagiwa, A., Masuda, S., Mizutani, H., et al. (2015). Immunological parameters in prophylactic sublingual immunotherapy in asymptomatic subjects sensitized to Japanese cedar pollen. Allergology International,64(1), 54–59.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yuta, A., Ukai, K., Sakakura, Y., Tani, H., Matsuda, F., Yang, T. Q., et al. (2002). Prediction of the total Japanese cedar pollen counts based on male flower-setting conditions of standard trees. Arerugi,51(7), 577–582.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ziska, L., Knowlton, K., Rogers, C., Dalan, D., Tierney, N., Elder, M. A., et al. (2011). Recent warming by latitude associated with increased length of ragweed pollen season in central North America. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA,108(10), 4248–4251.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Ms. Rina Higashi and Ms. Mayu Nakatani for providing technical support to this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-174 Edobashi, Tsu, Mie, 514-8507, Japan

    Said Ahmad Shah & Kazuhiko Takeuchi

Authors
  1. Said Ahmad Shah
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kazuhiko Takeuchi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

SAS wrote the manuscript. SAS and KT performed the statistical analysis and interpretation of the results. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Said Ahmad Shah or Kazuhiko Takeuchi.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Shah, S.A., Takeuchi, K. Association between Japanese cedar and cypress pollen counts and climate factors over a 10-year period in Tsu city, Japan. Aerobiologia 36, 291–297 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-020-09632-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-020-09632-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation