García-Gallardo M.V., Algorta J., Longo N., Espinel S., Aragones A., Lombardero M., Bernaola G., Jauregui I., Aranzabal A., Albizu M.V., Gastaminza G.
Servicio de Alergología e Inmunología Clínica, Hospital Santiago Apostol, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain; Neiker-Tecnalia, Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Uganda; Departamento de Medio Ambiente y Ordenación Del Territorio, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain; Department of Biochemistry and Cellular Biology, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain; Unidad de Alergia, Hospital Galdácano, Galdácano, Spain; Servicio de Alergia, Hospital Universitario Basurto, Bilbao, Spain; Unidad de Alergología, Hospital de Zumárraga, Zumárraga, Spain; R and D Department, ALK-Abelló S.A., Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Alergología e Inmunología, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pío XII 36, ES-31008 Pamplona, Spain
García-Gallardo, M.V., Servicio de Alergología e Inmunología Clínica, Hospital Santiago Apostol, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain; Algorta, J., Department of Biochemistry and Cellular Biology, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain; Longo, N., Servicio de Alergología e Inmunología Clínica, Hospital Santiago Apostol, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain; Espinel, S., Neiker-Tecnalia, Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Uganda; Aragones, A., Neiker-Tecnalia, Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Uganda; Lombardero, M., R and D Department, ALK-Abelló S.A., Madrid, Spain; Bernaola, G., Unidad de Alergia, Hospital Galdácano, Galdácano, Spain; Jauregui, I., Servicio de Alergia, Hospital Universitario Basurto, Bilbao, Spain; Aranzabal, A., Unidad de Alergología, Hospital de Zumárraga, Zumárraga, Spain; Albizu, M.V., Departamento de Medio Ambiente y Ordenación Del Territorio, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain; Gastaminza, G., Departamento de Alergología e Inmunología, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pío XII 36, ES-31008 Pamplona, Spain
Background: Pollutants and other stressing factors like mold infection might increase the production of pathogen-related proteins in plants. Since this is invoked as one of the causes for the high prevalence of allergic diseases in developed countries, we aimed to determine the potential effect of environmental pollution, with or without mold infection of the trees, on the allergenic potency of pine pollen (Pinus radiata). Methods: Pine pollen samples were recovered from three selected areas: low polluted (A), highly polluted (B) and highly polluted and infected with fungi (Spheropsis sapinea) (C). The allergenic potency of pollen from areas A, B or C were compared in vivo in 35 pine pollen-allergic patients by skin prick test and specific IgE (sIgE) quantification. Pollen was also analyzed in vitro by SDS-PAGE immunoblotting, RAST inhibition and cDNA-AFLP (amplified fragment length polymorphism) to compare differences in proteins and mRNA expression. Results: The allergenic potency measured by prick test, sIgE and RAST inhibition was greater in pollen A, which was exposed to smaller amounts of NOx, PM10 and SO2 but greater amounts of O3. No differences were found in IgE-binding bands in immunoblotting or densitometry of the bands. In cDNA-AFLP, three homologous transcript-derived fragments were expressed in samples B only, with an expressed sequence tag related with stress-regulated gene expression. Conclusions: A greater allergenic potency, in terms of skin tests and sIgE, is observed in pine pollen coming from unpolluted areas. We consider that this fact might be related to a higher exposure to ozone, resulting in a greater expression of allergenic proteins. © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.
immunoglobulin E; complementary DNA; immunoglobulin E; nitric oxide; ozone; pollen antigen; adult; allergenicity; article; clinical article; controlled study; female; fungus; gene expression; human; in vivo study; male; mycosis; nonhuman; pine; pollen allergy; pollution; prick test; priority journal; protein expression; sequence analysis; skin test; Spheropsis sapinea; allergenicity; Article; environmental exposure; immunoblotting; in vitro study; particulate matter; pine pollen; Pinus radiata; pollen; pollutant; polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; radioallergosorbent test; restriction fragment length polymorphism; sample; Environmental Pollution; Female; Fungi; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Heat-Shock Proteins; Humans; Immunoglobulin E; Male; Middle Aged; Nitrogen Compounds; Ozone; Pinus; Plant Proteins; Pollen; Protein Binding; Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal
