Influence of sensitization to pollen and food allergens on pollinosis clinical symptoms

Jūratė Staikūnienė, Lidija Marija Japertienė¹, Raimundas Sakalauskas

Department of Pulmonology and Immunology, Kaunas University of Medicine, ¹Clinic of Pulmonology and Immunology, Kaunas University of Medicine Hospital, Lithuania

Key words: pollen, pollinosis, allergic rhinitis, asthma, oral allergy syndrome.

Summary. Geographic position and local plants of the country influence the profile of sensitization of the population to airborne allergens. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitization pattern to pollen and food allergens in adult patients with pollinosis in Lithuania. 101 patients (age 16–63 years) suffering from seasonal allergic rhinitis and 23.8% of them also diagnosed with concomitant seasonal asthma were investigated. Oral allergy syndrome (OAS) was diagnosed in 29.7% of cases. The sensitization to 21 species of tree-, grass- and weed-pollen and plant food allergens was determined by positive skin prick and prick-prick test. In serum levels of total IgE and timothy and orchard grass specific IgE were determined by immunoenzyme assay. 52.5% of patients suffered from spring-summer pollinosis. 91.2% of patients were sensitized to grass-pollen allergens, 79.3% – to tree pollen-allergens. 74.7% of patients were allergic to weeds. Pollinosis starting in the spring and lasting more than sixteen weeks was associated with increased probability of OAS (OR=7.1, p<0.001 and OR=3.1, p=0.01). Sensitization to hazelnut (OR=8.6, p=0.009), birch (OR=9.6, p=0.07), lamb’s quarters (OR=5.2, p=0.04) allergens and twofold and more increase in serum IgE (OR=4.8, p=0.03) were considered the significant risk factors for pollinosis with OAS. More than two times elevated serum IgE increased the probability of seasonal asthma (OR=3.4, p=0.03). Sensitization to ragweed was associated with decreased risk for asthma (OR=0.26, p=0.03).

Conclusions. Our data indicate that more than a half of patients (52.5%) had pollinosis symptoms during spring and summer seasons because of multiple sensitivity to pollen allergens. Sensitization to hazelnut, birch, lamb’s quarters allergens, more than two times elevated serum IgE are significant risk factors for pollinosis with OAS. More than two times elevated serum IgE increased the probability of seasonal asthma, but sensitization to ragweed was associated with decreased risk for pollinosis with asthma.

Correspondence to J. Staikūnienė, Department of Pulmonology and Immunology, Kaunas University of Medicine, Eivenių 2, 50009 Kaunas, Lithuania. E-mail: juratest@hotmail.com

Received 28 February 2005, accepted 25 March 2005