ARZU DIDEM YALCIN, MD. Department of Internal Medicine, Allergy and Clinical Immunology Unit .

1. THE CLIMATE AND AERO ALLERGENS IN MEDITERRANEAN REGION AND ALLERGEN SENSITIVITY IN ALLERGIC RHINOCONJUNCTIVITIS AND ALLERGIC ASTHMA PATIENTS in press MED SCI MONIT 2013(2) ARZU DIDEM YALCIN, MD. Department of Internal Medicine, Allergy and Clinical Immunology Unit. XXI World Congress of Asthma Interasma Global Assosiation Sunday, August 19, Room B, 16.00-17.30 Oral presentation 38 QUEBEC/CANADA

2. Background: In this study, we evaluated the profiles of allergic rhino-conjunctivitis and asthma patients annually in a mediterranean coastal city Antalya in Turkey • Methods: As well as evaluating patients’ allergic clinical status, we also recorded the climate and pollens in the air of city center if any correlation between pollination, climatic conditions and allergic disorders. Total and specific IgE levels and skin prick tests (SPT) were evaluated. The meteorological conditions and the pollen count/cm2 in each month of whole year and the concordance of this with the patient’s clinical status were evaluated.

3. Results: • The major causes of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms were air pollens and house dust. SPT positivity for corylusavellana was significant in the age group of >40 years old. SPT positivity for plantagolanceolata, aspergillus fumigatus and d. pteronyssinus was significant in patients younger than 40 years old Pollination levels are consistent from March 2010 to February 2011 and in Antalya high levels occur mostly from April to June. Thus skin prick test were performed mostly in May/June (~30%). During these months, the meteorological conditions of the city were windy with low humidity without rain and lukewarm temperatures, all of which contribute to high risk conditions for seasonal allergies.

4. Results: • Of the 866 patients studied, 92.8 % of whom lived in the city center, 66.1 % were females. 61.21 % of these 866 patients had allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and 38.79 % had asthma and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis. 16.3 % of all cases were active smokers, and among all cases ~40% had increased symptoms with exposure to both active/passive cigarette smoking. Approximately the same numbers of patients with higher than 100 kU/L total IgE levels and who had allergen-specific IgE positivity, clustered in the age ranges 10-19, 20-29, 30-39 and 40-49, as shown in Table I.

5. Table I. Demographics for the patient group (n=866)

7. Table II. Skin prick test results for patients (n=866) and % positivity to different allergens.

8. Table II. Skin prick test results for patients (n=866) and % positivity to different allergens.

9. Table III. Age distribution (n=866) and mean SPT positivity

10. Table IV: The most commonly detected months of the allergens

11. Table V: Monthly pollination ratios

19. What is already known on this subject? • Allergic rhinoconjunctivitis-asthma is a common health problem that its prevalence and varies from region to region. Several studies have investigated the association between pollen exposure and asthma emergency admissions, but only two have investigated the effect of airborne allergens on consultations for rhinitis.

20. What this study adds? • In this study, we evaluated the climate and pollens in the air and the correlation between pollination, climatic conditions and clinical status of the allergic patients. The results suggesting that the pollination is correlated with allergic conditions and thus skin prick test might be best performed according to the pollen population.

21. Conclusion: The major allergen between April and June was derived from Graminae; between February and March was Cupressus sp; and between March and June was Pinus sp. These results suggest that the pollination is correlated with allergic conditions and thus SPT might be best performed according to the pollen population.

22. Atil ,Hasan, Saime, Reg, Özlem, Ibrahim, Reyhan, Rahime, Bulent, Hale.THANK YOU