“Whole” vs. “fragmented” approach to EAACI pollen season definitions: A multicenter study in six Southern European cities

• DOI: 10.1111/all.14153
• Publication Date: 2019-12-13T11:16:09Z
• Authors: Tara Maria Hoffmann; Aydan Acar Şahin; Xenophon Aggelidis; Stefania Arasi; Andrea Barbalace; Anne Bourgoin; Blerina Bregu; Maria Antonia Bri...; Elsa Caeiro; Sule Caglayan Sozmen; Lucia Caminiti; Denis Charpin; Mariana Couto; Luís Delgado; Andrea Di Rienzo ...; Claire Dimier; Maria V. Dimou; João A. Fonseca; Ozlem Goksel; Aykut Guvensen; Dolores Hernandez; Dah Tay Jang; Fusun Kalpaklioglu; Blerta Lame; Ruth Llusar; Michael P. Makris; Angel Mazon; Eris Mesonjesi; Antonio Nieto; Ayse Öztürk; Laurie Pahus; Giovanni Battista...; Ilenia Panasiti; Valentina Panetta; Nikolaos G. Papad...; Elisabetta Pelleg...; Simone Pelosi; Ana Margarida Per...; Mariana Pereira; Munevver Pinar; Oliver Pfaar; Ekaterina Potapova; Alfred Priftanji; Fotis Psarros; Cansin Sackesen; Ifigenia Sfika; Javier Suarez; Michel Thibaudon; Alessandro Travag...; Salvatore Tripodi; Valentine Verdier; Valeria Villella; Paraskevi Xepapadaki; Duygu Yazici; Paolo M. Matricardi; Stephanie Dramburg
• Keywords: Allergy; Airborne Pollen; Allergenic Pollen; Immunology; Season definitions; Seasonal allergic rhinitis; Clinical-Trials; 610; seasonal allergic rhinitis; Mediterranean; Settore MED/01 - STATISTICA MEDICA; Calendar; 01 natural sciences; EAACI; Mediterranean; Pollen allergy; Season definitions; Seasonal allergic rhinitis; Rhinoconjunctivitis; pollen allergy; Humans; Grass-Pollen; Cities; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences; Mediterranean Region; City; Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal; Allergens; season definitions; Europe; Medicine; Allergy; Immunology; [No Keyword]; Medicine; Pollen; Immunotherapy; Seasons; EAACI; EAACI, Mediterranean, pollen, pollen allergy, pollen season, season definitions, seasonal allergic rhinitis; 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften::610 Medizin und Gesundheit::610 Medizin und Gesundheit; Pollen allergy

AbstractBackgroundThe adequate definition of pollen seasons is essential to facilitate a correct diagnosis, treatment choice, and outcome assessment in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis. A position paper by the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) proposed season definitions for Northern and Middle Europe.ObjectiveTo test the pollen season definitions proposed by EAACI in six Mediterranean cities for seven pollen taxa.MethodsAs part of the @IT.2020 multi‐center study, pollen counts for Poaceae, Oleaceae, Fagales, Cupressaceae, Urticaceae (Parietaria spp.), and Compositae (Ambrosia spp., Artemisia spp.) were collected from January 1 to December 31, 2018. Based on these data, pollen seasons were identified according to EAACI criteria. A unified monitoring period for patients in AIT trials was created and assessed for feasibility.ResultsThe analysis revealed a great heterogeneity between the different locations in terms of pattern and length of the examined pollen seasons. Further, we found a fragmentation of pollen seasons in several segments (max. 8) separated by periods of low pollen counts (intercurrent periods). Potential monitoring periods included often many recording days with low pollen exposure (max. 341 days).ConclusionThe Mediterranean climate leads to challenging pollen exposure times. Monitoring periods for AIT trials based on existing definitions may include many intermittent days with low pollen concentrations. Therefore, it is necessary to find an adapted pollen season definition as individual solution for each pollen and geographical area.