Introduction The role of long-distance transported (LDT) Ambrosia pollen in inducing new sensitization and affecting sensitization rates in Artemisia-sensitized patients is unclear. Aim The aim of this study was to estimate the degree of cross-sensitization to Ambrosia/Artemisia allergens in citizens of Poznan (Western Poland). This area is covered by extensive Artemisia populations but does ...

The study on the antioxidant and hypolipidemic effect of pollen extracts (Cernitins) was conducted in male mongrel rabbits and Wistar rats. The animals were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) composed of cholesterol, coconut oil and cholic acid, and received pollen extracts (Cernitins) orally (the rabbits over a period of 12 weeks and the rats over a period of 2 weeks). The levels of malondialdehyde (MD...

Bee pollen is pollen granules packed by honey bees and is widely consumed as natural healthy supplements. Bee pollen-induced anaphylaxis has rarely been reported, and its allergenic components have never been studied. A 40-year-old male came to the emergency room with generalized urticaria, facial edema, dyspnea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea 1 hour after ingesting one tablespo...

The immune response of atopic individuals against allergens is characterized by increased levels of Th2 cytokines and chemokines. However, the way in which the cytokine/chemokine profile is matched to the type of invading allergen, and why these profiles sometimes derail and lead to disease, is not well understood. We recently demonstrated that pollen modulates dendritic cell (DC) function in a...

BACKGROUND Pollen is a bee-product known for its medical properties from ancient times. In our days is increasingly used as health food supplement and especially as a tonic primarily with appeal to the elderly to ameliorate the effects of ageing. In order to evaluate the chemical composition and the biological activity of Greek pollen which has never been studied before, one sample with identif...

Weed pollen grains belonging to the Asteraceae family contain a variety of allergens inducing type I and IV allergies in susceptible people. The aim of this research was to compare the allergenic properties of immature and mature Shasta daisy pollen grains (Chrysanthemum maximum Ramond) to define the potential role of the maturation process on the allergenicity of Asteraceae pollen grains. The ...

BACKGROUND During production of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) seeds in greenhouses, workers frequently develop allergic symptoms. The aim of this study was to identify and characterize possible allergens in sugar beet pollen. METHODS Sera from individuals at a local sugar beet seed producing company, having positive SPT and specific IgE to sugar beet pollen extract, were used for immunoblotting....

Limonium tataricum (Lt) is a plant belonging to the family of Plumbaginaceae. The role of this family and in particular, that of dried flowers (but not of the pollen) in occupational allergy has already been described. We have observed a farmer with asthma occurring in the presence of fresh flowers. Standard methacoline test demonstrated that the patient was a true asthmatic. The allergenicity ...

BACKGROUND Immunological test systems for diagnostics of type I hypersensitivity involve the following types of antigens: whole allergen extracts, individual highly purified proteins and their recombinant analogues. The goal of this study was to compare the results obtained with whole allergen extracts (birch pollen, cat dander, and timothy grass pollen) and their respective recombinant protein...

BACKGROUND : Cypress pollen is becoming an increasing cause of respiratory allergy in some regions worldwide. OBJECTIVE : The aim of this study was to determine some of the main allergens implicated in the common cypress (C. sempervirens) pollen allergy. METHODS : Pollen extracts were optimized by using some detergents and chaotropes in order to solubilize both water and non-water soluble p...