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Original Article |
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Symptoms of the olive pollen allergy:
Do they really occur only in the pollination season? |
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C. Kirmaz1, H. Yuksel2,
P. Bayrak3, Ö. Yilmaz4 |
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1 Celal Bayar University, Medical
Faculty, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of
Immunology and Allergy. Turkey
2 Celal Bayar University, Medical Faculty Department of
Pediatrics, Division of Allergy and Pneumatology.
Turkey
3 Celal Bayar University, Medical Faculty, Department of
Internal Medicine. Turkey
4 Celal Bayar University, Medical Faculty, Department of
Pediatrics. Turkey |
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J Invest Allergol Clin Immunol
2005; Vol. 15(2): 140-145 |
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Abstract |
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Background:
Olive (Olea europaea;
O.e.) pollen is a
major cause of
seasonal respiratory
allergy. The O.e.
pollination season
lasts two months
from the beginning
of May till the end
of June. It was
expected that
patients with
allergic disease
from O.e.
sensitization were
symptomatic only
during this period.
However, during the
last few years, we
have observed that
the clinical
symptoms appear not
only during the O.e.
pollination season
but also during the
rest of the year.
Objective: The
aim of this study
was to observe and
document symptoms of
respiratory allergic
diseases in the O.e.
sensitized patients
during the O.e.
pollination season
and after it.
Methods: One
hundred and twenty-seven
patients with
respiratory allergic
disease were
enrolled in the
study. Allergenic
sensitizations were
shown by SPT.
Finally, patients
were split into two
groups as
monosensitized with
O.e. (n=19) and
polysensitized
(n=108). Patients
were assessed by
using scores of
respiratory allergic
disease symptoms and
percentage of peak
expiratory flow rate
values (PEFR %) (only
for asthmatic
patients) during the
O.e. pollination
season and after it.
Results: Of the
patients with O.e.
monosensitization,
13 had allergic
rhinitis (AR) only
while six had
allergic asthma (AA)
additionally. AR
alone and
accompanied by AA
was present in 84
and 24
polysensitized
patients
respectively. Eleven
patients with O.e.
sensitization (57.9
%) and 86 patients
with
polysensitization
(79.6 %) had AR
symptoms throughout
the year
irrespective of the
O.e. pollination
season. Similarly,
three of the O.e.
monosensitized and
ten of the
polysensitized
patients with AA had
asthmatic symptoms
during the O.e.
pollination season
and also after it.
Conclusions: In
the patient group
sensitive to O.e.
along with other
pollen extracts, it
was possible to
observe symptoms
outside the
pollination season.
However, patients
with O.e.
monosensitization
also had symptoms to
a great extent
outside the season.
Key words:
Allergic
rhinoconjunctivitis,
asthma, Olea
europeae, season,
symptom. |
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