Browsing by Author "Sofiev, Mikhail"

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Airborne olive pollen counts are not representative of exposure to the major olive allergen Ole e 1
(Wiley, 2013-06) Galan, Carmen; Antunes, Celia M.; Brandao, R.; Serrato, Carmen Torres; Mozo, Hermínia García; Caeiro, Elsa; Ferro, Raquel; Prank, Marje; Sofiev, Mikhail; Albertini, Roberto; Berger, Uwe E.; Cecchi, Lorenzo; Grewling, Lukasz; Jackowiak, Bogdan; Jager, Sibylle; Kennedy, Roy; Lehtimaki, Auli Rantio; Reese, G.; Sauliene, Ingrida; Smith, Matt R.; Thibaudon, Michel; Weber, B.; Weichenmeier, Ingrid; Pusch, G.; Buters, Jeroen T. M.; Çelenk, Sevcan; Uludağ Üniversitesi/Fen-Edebiyat Fakültesi/Biyoloji Anabilim Dalı.; 0000-0003-4925-8902; K-2981-2012; 24170598000
Pollen is routinely monitored, but it is unknown whether pollen counts represent allergen exposure. We therefore simultaneously determined olive pollen and Ole e 1 in ambient air in Cordoba, Spain, and Evora, Portugal, using Hirst-type traps for pollen and high-volume cascade impactors for allergen. Pollen from different days released 12-fold different amounts of Ole e 1 per pollen (both locations P<0.001). Average allergen release from pollen (pollen potency) was much higher in Cordoba (3.9pg Ole e 1/pollen) than in Evora (0.8pg Ole e 1/pollen, P=0.004). Indeed, yearly olive pollen counts in Cordoba were 2.4 times higher than in Evora, but Ole e 1 concentrations were 7.6 times higher. When modeling the origin of the pollen, >40% of Ole e 1 exposure in Evora was explained by high-potency pollen originating from the south of Spain. Thus, olive pollen can vary substantially in allergen release, even though they are morphologically identical.
Release of Bet v 1 from birch pollen from 5 European countries. Results from the HIALINE study
(Pergamon-Elsevier Science, 2012-08) Buters, Jeroen T. M.; Thibaudon, Michel; Smith, Matt; Kennedy, Roy; Rantio-Lehtimaki, Auli; Albertini, Roberto; Reese, Gerald; Weber, Bernhard; Galan, Carmen; Brandao, Rui; Antunes, Celia M.; Jaeger, Siegfried; Berger, Uwe; Grewling, Lukasz; Jackowiak, Bogdan; Sauliene, Ingrida; Weichenmeier, Ingrid; Pusch, Gudrun; Sarıoğlu, Hakan; Ueffing, Marius; Behrendt, Heidrun; Prank, Marje; Sofiev, Mikhail; Cecchi, Lorenzo; Çelenk, Sevcan; Uludağ Üniversitesi/Fen-Edebiyat Fakültesi/Biyoloji Bölümü.; 0000-0003-4925-8902; K-2981-2012; 24170598000
Exposure to allergens is pivotal in determining sensitization and allergic symptoms in individuals. Pollen grain counts in ambient air have traditionally been assessed to estimate airborne allergen exposure. However, the exact allergen content of ambient air is unknown. We therefore monitored atmospheric concentrations of birch pollen grains and the matched major birch pollen allergen Bet v 1 simultaneously across Europe within the EU-funded project HIALINE (Health Impacts of Airborne Allergen Information Network). Pollen count was assessed with Hirst type pollen traps at 10 I min(-1) at sites in France, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Finland. Allergen concentrations in ambient air were sampled at 800 I min(-1) with a Chemvol (R) high-volume cascade impactor equipped with stages PM > 10 mu m, 10 mu m > PM > 2.5 mu m, and in Germany also 2.5 mu m > PM > 0.12 mu m. The major birch pollen allergen Bet v 1 was determined with an allergen specific ELISA. Bet v 1 isoform patterns were analyzed by 2D-SDS-PAGE blots and mass spectrometric identification. Basophil activation was tested in an FC epsilon R1-humanized rat basophil cell line passively sensitized with serum of a birch pollen symptomatic patient. Compared to 10 previous years, 2009 was a representative birch pollen season for all stations. About 90% of the allergen was found in the PM > 10 mu m fraction at all stations. Bet v 1 isoforms pattern did not vary substantially neither during ripening of pollen nor between different geographical locations. The average European allergen release from birch pollen was 3.2 pg Bet v 1/pollen and did not vary much between the European countries. However, in all countries a >10-fold difference in daily allergen release per pollen was measured which could be explained by long-range transport of pollen with a deviating allergen release. Basophil activation by ambient air extracts correlated better with airborne allergen than with pollen concentration. Although Bet v 1 is a mixture of different isoforms, its fingerprint is constant across Europe. Bet v 1 was also exclusively linked to pollen. Pollen from different days varied >10-fold in allergen release. Thus exposure to allergen is inaccurately monitored by only monitoring birch pollen grains. Indeed, a humanized basophil activation test correlated much better with allergen concentrations in ambient air than with pollen count. Monitoring the allergens themselves together with pollen in ambient air might be an improvement in allergen exposure assessment.
Variation of the group 5 grass pollen allergen content of airborne pollen in relation to geographic location and time in season the HIALINE working group
(Mosby-Elsevier, 2015-07) Buters, Jeroen; Prank, Marje; Sofiev, Mikhail; Pusch, Gudrun; Albertini, Roberto; Annesi, Isabella Maesano; Antunes, Celia; Behrendt, Heidrun; Berger, Uwe; Brandao, Rui; Galan, Carmen; Grewling, Lukasz; Jackowiak, Bogdan; Kennedy, Roy; Rantio, Auli Lehtimaki; Reese, Gerald; Sauliene, Ingrida; Smith, Matt; Thibaudon, Michel; Weber, Bernhard; Cecchi, Lorenzo; Çelenk, Sevcan; Uludağ Üniversitesi/Fen-Edebiyat Fakültesi/Biyoloji Anabilim Dalı.; 0000-0003-4925-8902; K-2981-2012; 24170598000
Background: Allergies to grass pollen are the number one cause of outdoor hay fever. The human immune system reacts with symptoms to allergen from pollen. Objective: We investigated the natural variability in release of the major group 5 allergen from grass pollen across Europe. Methods: Airborne pollen and allergens were simultaneously collected daily with a volumetric spore trap and a high-volume cascade impactor at 10 sites across Europe for 3 consecutive years. Group 5 allergen levels were determined with a Phl p 5-specific ELISA in 2 fractions of ambient air: particulate matter of greater than 10 mu m in diameter and particulate matter greater than 2.5 mu m and less than 10 mu m in diameter. Mediator release by ambient air was determined in Fc epsilon RI-humanized basophils. The origin of pollen was modeled and condensed to pollen potency maps. Results: On average, grass pollen released 2.3 pg of Phl p 5 per pollen. Allergen release per pollen (potency) varied substantially, ranging from less than 1 to 9 pg of Phl p 5 per pollen (5% to 95% percentile). The main variation was locally day to day. Average potency maps across Europe varied between years. Mediator release from basophilic granulocytes correlated better with allergen levels per cubic meter (r(2) = 0.80, P < .001) than with pollen grains per cubic meter (r(2) = 0.61, P < .001). In addition, pollen released different amounts of allergen in the non-pollenbearing fraction of ambient air, depending on humidity. Conclusion: Across Europe, the same amount of pollen released substantially different amounts of group 5 grass pollen allergen. This variation in allergen release is in addition to variations in pollen counts. Molecular aerobiology (ie, determining allergen in ambient air) might be a valuable addition to pollen counting.