Pollen allergy in industrial and rural regions

Krystyna Obtulowicz, Teresa Kotlinowska, Marcin Stobiecki, Teresa Sajak, Katarzyna Dechnik, Antoni Hudzik, Teresa Laczkowska

Department of Industrial Allergy, Collegium Medicum of the Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland

Published in: R. Spiewak (Editor): "Pollens and Pollinosis: Current Problems". Institute of Agricultural Medicine, Lublin (Poland) 1995, page 64.

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Po Polsku

Objective

The aim of the study was:

• the assessment of the frequency and clinical manifestations of pollen allergy in the region of high industrial pollution among the workers of the steel plant (group A), in the region of the industrial district among people not working in the plant (group B) and in the rural area (group C);
• morphologic assessment of the pollen grains surface in these 3 regions as well as study of skin reactivity to extracts of pollen from these regions measured in the skin prick test.

Material and Methods

In 100-persons' groups of people from these 3 regions on the basis of anamnesis and the skin prick test with grasses, trees and weeds there were appointed persons with symptoms of pollen alllergy. The frequeny of familiar allergy and atopic features in childhood were established.

Results

Pollen allergy was confirmed in 20% of persons in group A. None of the cases present hereditary predisposition to allergy in the close family and only 20% of them reported presence of bronchial asthma in the further family. In group B, among the persons living in the industrial city the pollen allergy was present in 10% of patients, usually in men. 60% of them had positive familiar anamnesis and 10% had allergic diathesis in childhood. In group C, among the persons living in the clean, rural region, typical symptoms of pollen allergy were found in 6% of individuals. 2% of people revealed only skin allergy during the pollen season (dermatitis or urticaria). Positive familiar anamnesis was present in 44% of patients and allergy in childhood in 33%.

Preliminary morphologic studies of pollen grains from the industrial and rural regions showed differences connected with contamination of their surface with mineral dusts. Allergenic extracts from Alnus (without dust pollution) taken from the examined regions provoked the similar skin reaction in the prick test.

Conclusion

Results of our study confirm the higher frequency of pollen allergy in the industrial region even in patients without atopic predisposition in comparison to inhabitants of rural region, where dominated atopic pollen allergy and where more frequent skin manifestations can be observed.

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