RAGWEED AND MUGWORT POLLEN (ASTERACEAE FAMILY) - MONITORING AND COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SEASONAL DYNAMICS DURING 2011-2017

In addition to appearing in crops, weeds may pose a risk to human health, indirectly due to the widespread use of herbicides and directly, because they are source of pollen that in susceptible people can cause allergic reactions. Among the weed species, the main allergens are the species of the botanical family: Asteraceae, Amaranthaceae, Urticaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Plantaginaceae. Asteraceae family includes 1,100 genera and 20,000 species, which is one of the largest flowering plants. However, in our area as a potential allergen the most important is Ambrosia and Artemisia pollen. Sampling of ragweed and mugwort pollen during the pollination period 2012-2017 was conducted in urban part of Banja Luka in PI AIRS, BL with Hirst sampler using the method defined by the International Association for Aerobiology (IAA). The first mugwort pollen grains in 2011 were recorded at the end of May, during 2012 and 2016 in the first decade of June, and from 2013 to 2015, as well in 2017 in the second decade of June. Mugwort pollination period lasted for an average of 55 days and it was characterized by low (1-10 p/m3) to moderate (11-50 p/m3) concentrations. The ragweed period pollination during the seven-year monitoring lasted, on average, about 115 days. High concentrations (51-500 p/m3) were recorded between the second decade of August to the third decade of September, while very high concentrations (501 p/m3) were recorded only in 2011. On an annual basis not only the season of ragweed pollination lasted longer, but the results of the monitoring and comparative analysis showed significantly higher % share of ragweed pollen within the weed species in the family Asteraceae in the city of Banja Luka.

Serum IgE Predicts Difference of Population and Allergens in Allergic Diseases: Data from Weifang City, China

Background. Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is the most important promoter of allergic inflammation. However, there are few systematic studies on IgE in age range, genders, disease spectrum, and time regularity. Aim. To screen the common allergens, allergen spectrum, and IgE difference between type 2 inflammatory allergic diseases and other allergic diseases in Weifang, China. Methods. A retrospective study was performed by estimating patients’ clinical data suffering from allergic diseases (urticaria, pollinosis, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, and bronchial asthma) between May 2019 and April 2020 using an allergen detection kit of Macro-Union Pharmaceutical. Results. 732 of the 1367 patients showed different antigen positive, and the positive rate was 53.5%. The most common allergens were dust mites, mixed fungi, Artemisia pollen, cat/dog dander, and cockroaches. There were 27.0% (369/1367) of the patients with single positive allergen-specific IgE (sIgE), 26.5% (363/1367) with multiple-positive IgE. The total immunoglobulin E (tIgE) levels varied with gender, age, and type of disease. There was a difference in the distribution of allergens between children and adults. A positive correlation between the serum-specific IgE and the corresponding local inhaled allergen density was observed. Conclusions. In this study, we found that type 2 inflammatory allergic diseases have higher serum IgE and a higher probability of inhaled sIgE positive. According to age, gender, and condition, serological IgE detection of allergens provides new insight into the early diagnosis and prevention of allergic diseases.

Comparison of Artemisia L. pollen concentrations and risk of development of allergy symptoms in different regions of Poland in 2020

In central Europe, mugwort pollen is a frequent cause of pollen allergy. Poland is one of the countries with the highest airborne concentrations of pollen of this taxon. Due to its high allergenic potential, Artemisia pollen may pose a significant threat to sensitive subjects during summer months. Plants from this genus often grow in urban and suburban areas. The aim of the study was to compare mugwort pollen seasons and concentrations of airborne pollen of these plants in 12 cities located in different regions of Poland: Bialystok, Bydgoszcz, Cracow, Lublin, Olsztyn, Opole, Piotrkow Trybunalski, Sosnowiec, Szczecin, Warsaw, Wroclaw, and Zielona Gora. The investigations were carried out with the volumetric method using a Hirst-type pollen sampler (Lanzoni or Burkard) operating on a 24-hour basis. The duration of the pollen season was determined with the 98% method. The earliest onset of the mugwort pollen season was noted in Opole (12.07), and the latest beginning was recorded in Cracow and Sosnowiec (23.07). The maximum pollen concentrations were reported on August 7 and 8 in Lublin (177 P/m3) and Wroclaw (100 P/m3). In all the cities, peak days were recorded on the first ten days of August. The maximum pollen concentrations in the other cities were in the range of 18-89 P/m3. The highest annual pollen sum was recorded in Lublin (1423) and Wroclaw (1050). These values coincided with the highest pollen concentrations determined in these cities. The annual Artemisia pollen sums in 2020 did not have the highest values in comparison with other years in these cities. The average annual pollen sum in the five-year period of 2001-2005 was estimated at 2065 in Lublin and 1662 in Wrocław. Therefore, it can be concluded that the risk of mugwort pollen allergy in the pollen season 2020 was lower than in some previous years.

Biological parameters of adult of Chrysoperla externa (Hagen, 1861) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) fed on Asteraceae pollen under laboratory conditions

The objective of this study was to evaluate the biological parameters and the preference of Artemisia tridentata Nutt (Asteraceae) industrial pollen grains and beer yeast by Ch. externa adults for a more suitable diet for laboratory rearing. To conduct the experiment, 105 adults of newly emerged Ch. externa were used. They were placed in PVC cages (10.0 cm high x 10.0 cm in diameter), closed with PVC plastic film, each cage contained two females and one male (2: 1), and each cage was placed on a diet, being they are: Artemisia pollen (A. tridentata), artemisia + honey pollen (mixed), beer yeast, beer yeast + honey (mixed), water, honey, artemisia pollen + honey (separated). The diets 2 (artemisia pollen + mixed honey), 3 (brewer's yeast) and 4 (brewer's yeast + mixed honey) were shown to be statistically good diets at 5% confidence, according to the results analyzed for the parameters fecundity, oviposition, oviposition, mean number of eggs/day and viability of eggs. As the other diets 1 (artemisia pollen), 5 (water), 6 (honey) and 7 (artemisia pollen + separated honey) did not obtain statistically results, because they had means zero or close to zero, so these treatments are not feasible for a rearing of Ch. externa in the laboratory.

Mugwort pollen season in the air of Poland in 2019

The Asteraceae family is one of the largest families, comprising 67 genera and 264 species in Poland. However, only a few genera, including Artemisia, are potential allergenic sources. The aim of the study was to compare the mugwort pollen seasons in Bialystok, Bydgoszcz, Sosnowiec, Lublin, Piotrkow Trybunalski, Opole, Olsztyn, Szczecin, Warsaw and Wroclaw in 2019. The investigations were carried out using the volumetric method. Seasonal Pollen Index was estimated as the sum of daily average pollen concentrations in the given season. The mugwort pollen season is mainly observed in June, July and at the beginning of September. In 2019 the pollen season of mugwort started first in Opole, on the June 26th. At the latest, a pollen season ended in Bydgoszcz and Warsaw, at the end of September. The differences of pollen seasons duration were extremely considerable, from 35 to 83 days. The highest airborne concentration of 97 pollen grains/m3 was noted in Lublin on the July 31st. The maximum values of seasonal pollen count in Polish cities occurred between July 28th and August 12th, most often between in late July and early August. The highest mugwort pollen allergen hazard occurred in 2019 in Lublin, Warsaw, Opole and Wroclaw, and was 2–3 times higher than in other cities. The highest variability in the analysed seasons was found in start date, while the lowest in the peak value and SPI value. In the pollen season in 2019, 2 peaks of Artemisia pollen concentrations were observed as a result of the order of flowering of A. vulgaris and A. campestris. Information on the pollination of various Artemisia species will be used to avoid excessive exposure to allergens of these pollen grains.