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J Bartra,1,2 J Sastre,2,3
A del Cuvillo,4 J Montoro,5
I Jáuregui,6 I Dávila,7 M Ferrer,8
J Mullol,9,2 A Valero1,2 |
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1 Unitat dAl.lèrgia, Servei de
Pneumologia i Al.lèrgia Respiratòria, Hospital Clinic (ICT),
Barcelona, Spain
2 Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de
Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES)
3 Servicio de Alergia, Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid,
Spain
4 Clínica Dr. Lobatón, Cádiz, Spain
5 Unidad de Alergia, Hospital La Plana, Vila-Real (Castellón),
Spain
6 Servicio de Alergología, Hospital de Basurto, Bilbao,
Spain
7 Servicio de Inmunoalergia, Hospital Universitario,
Salamanca, Spain
8 Departamento de Alergia e Inmunología Clínica, Clínica
Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
9 Unitat de Rinologia & Clínica de lOlfacte, Servei
dOto-rino-laringologia, Hospital Clínic Immunoal.lèrgia
Respiratòria Clínica i Experimental, IDIBAPS. Barcelona,
Spain |
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Abstract |
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Pollinosis is
defined as the
appearance of
respiratory symptoms
(rhinoconjunctivitis
and/or asthma) as a
result of the
inhalation of pollen
to which the
individual is
sensitized. Pollen
allergy becomes all
the more relevant on
taking into account
that it may be
responsible for the
development of plant
food allergy, or may
even constitute the
direct cause of
esophageal, gastric
and/or intestinal
inflammation in the
context of a
digestive allergic
process. Pollen can
act as a source of
allergens that
induce primary
sensitization in the
host as a result of
inhalation, with
secondary allergy to
plant foods
containing shared
allergens via a
cross-reactivity
mechanism. The
observed pattern of
plant food allergy
depends on the
dietary habits of
the population in a
given geographical
setting, and on the
pollination found in
that setting.
Pollinosis may
account for the
greater or lesser
prevalence of
allergy to certain
plant foods, and for
the severity of the
associated
reactions. Beyond
the digestive tract
inflammation that
may result from
allergy to a given
food, pollinosis is
also intrinsically
able to generate a
clinically relevant
or irrelevant
Th2-mediated
inflammatory
response at
digestive level, and
may even give rise
to eosinophilic
esophagitis.
Inter-relation with
the airway may also
extend to the
digestive tract as a
consequence of the
systemic response
that characterizes
allergic
disease.
Key words: Food
allergy, digestive
allergy, allergic
asthma, eosinophilic
esophagitis, pollen,
pollinosis, allergic
rhinoconjunctivitis.
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