The type of pollen allergy is in partly related to regional differences. We examined the incidence of sensitivity to pollens in patients with allergic rhinitis and/or asthma living in Eskisehir region which is located at the central part of Turkey (Anatolia) in where climates (hot-dry summers, cold-winters) facilitate allergenic pollens such as Poaceae. We skin tested 125 patients which were complaining from rhinitis and/or asthma symptoms with using the extracts of Dermatophagoides, grass, weed, cereal and tree pollens. The reactivity to Dermatophagoides as an indoor allergen was 50.4% (n = 63 patients). In pollen allergic patients (n = 100) sensitivity to Poaceae was the most common (69%), among them positivity to Anthoxanthum odoratum was 45%. In weeds Artemisia vulgaris sensitivity was 24%. Among trees Oleacea family which is characteristic species for Mediterranean are had the highest sensitivity (22%) in pollen allergic patients. Another point of study is that whereas sensitivity to grass pollen almost equal between patients from city center and from rural area (72.2% versus 71.4%, p > 0.05); the patients living rural area had mode sensitive to weed and tree pollens than those from city center (60.7% versus 45.8% for weeds and 42.9% versus 26.4% for trees, p < 0.05). The results suggested that sensitization to pollens in respiratory system allergies might be related to differences in macro (ie: climate) and micro (city or rural area) environmental characteristics of an area.
Adult Asthma