Περίληψη:
The increasing mobility of Europeans for business and leisure has led to
a need for reliable information about exposure to seasonal airborne
allergens during travel abroad. Over the last 10 years or so,
aeropalynologic and allergologic studies have progressed to meet this
need, and extensive international networks now provide regular pollen
and hay-fever forecasts. Europe is a geographically complex continent
with a widely diverse climate and a wide spectrum of vegetation.
Consequently, pollen calendars differ from one area to another; however,
on the whole, pollination starts in spring and ends in autumn. Grass
pollen is by far the most frequent cause of pollinosis in Europe. In
northern Europe, pollen from species of the family Betulaceae is a major
cause of the disorder. In contrast, the mild winters and dry summers of
Mediterranean areas favor the production of pollen types that are rarely
found in central and northern areas of the continent (e.g., the genera
Parietaria, Olea, and Cupressus). Clinical and aerobiologic studies show
that the pollen map of Europe is changing also as a result of cultural
factors (e.g., importation of plants for urban parklands) and greater
international travel (e.g,, the expansion of the ragweed genus Ambrosia
in France, northern Italy, Austria, and Hungary). Studies on
allergen-carrying paucimicronic or submicronic airborne particles, which
penetrate deep into the lung, are having a relevant impact on our
understanding of pollinosis and its distribution throughout Europe.
Συγγραφείς:
D'Amato, G
Spieksma, FTM
Liccardi, G
Jager, S
Russo, M
and Kontou-Fili, K
Nikkels, H
Wuthrich, B
Bonini, S
