Allergen-specific immunotherapy in birch- and grass-pollen-allergic rhinitis. I. Efficacy estimated by a model reducing the bias of annual differences in pollen counts.

Background: Evaluation of the efficacy of allergen-specific immunotherapy (IT) with pollen extracts is complicated by annual variation in pollen intensity. Our study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of birch and grass IT, taking into consideration these variations.

Methods: After 1 year of observation, 52 patients with rhinoconjunctivitis and allergy to birch as well as grass pollen were allocated to double-blinded clustered IT with aluminum-adsorbed extract produced from either birch (Betula verrucosa) pollen or grass (PIleum pratense) pollen.

Basophil histamine release, IgE, eosinophil counts, ECP, and EPX are related to the severity of symptoms in seasonal allergic rhinitis.

Background: Serum specific IgE, basophil histamine release, and blood eosinophil parameters are associated with allergic rhinitis, but investigations of the relationship to the severity of allergic symptoms are few and conflicting. Our study aimed to investigate the seasonal changes in the following laboratory tests: specific IgE, basophil histamine release, eosinophil counts, and serum and plasma eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and eosinophil protein X (EPX), and to analyze, in detail, the relationship of each individual test to the severity of symptoms in rhinitis patients allergic to both birch and grass pollen.

Methods: The above tests were performed on blood samples obtained from 49 allergic rhinitis patients during the birch-pollen season, during the grass-pollen season, and after the seasons.

[Airborne small particles as a cause of pulmonary diseases and excessive mortality?].

The paper reviews the available literature with regard to human health effects of fine particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5) from a Danish perspective. Fine particulate matter is not routinely measured in any Danish air pollution monitoring programme.

Pulmonary function changes in asthmatics associated with low-level SO2 and NO2 air pollution, weather, and medicine intake. An 8-month prospective study analyzed by neural networks.

This paper presents the response in subjects with asthma to gaseous air-pollution levels, weather, and medicine intake as identified by principal-component analysis and neural network techniques. Pulmonary function measured by respiratory peak-flow rate in nonallergic asthmatics was associated with ambient, low-level, air-pollution concentrations of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, temperature, relative humidity, and medicine intake. Results from 27 nonallergic asthmatics aged 18-60 years with well-characterized bronchial asthma and regular medical treatment were analyzed from two cities.

Atmospheric deposition of trace elements around point sources and human health risk assessment. II. Uptake of arsenic and chromium by vegetables grown near a wood preservation factory.

Kale, lettuce, carrots and potatoes were grown in 20 experimental plots surrounding a wood preservation factory, to investigate the amount and pathways for plant uptake of arsenic and chromium. Arsenate used in the wood preservation process is converted to the more toxic arsenite by incineration of waste wood and is emitted into the atmosphere. Elevated concentrations of inorganic arsenic and chromium were found both in the test plants and in the soil around the factory.