SEASONAL ASTHMA CAUSED BY AIRBORNE PLATANUS POLLEN

This work describes three patients suffering from bronchial asthma aft er being naturally exposed to airborne plane-tree pollen. The three pa tients gave immediate response in skin tests and dual response in bron chial provocations using Platanus hybrida extract. There was specific seric IgE activity against this/these antigen(s) with the CAP system. The three patients also showed significant correlation (P < 0.001) bet ween their rhinitis and asthma symptom-scores registered on their diar y cards and plane-tree pollen counts, collected using the Burkard spor e trap. Among 187 patients living in Madrid and who came to our centre with a history of rhinitis and/or seasonal asthma, we found a prevale nce of positive skin-prick tests to Platanus of 56%, only surpassed by gramineous pollen (Dactylis glomerata and/or Trisetum paniceum) 92% a nd Olea europaea 63%. The aerobiological sampling of the pollen conten t of the air in Madrid, carried out between 1 January 1979 and 31 Dece mber 1993 revealed an airborne presence (per cent of total yearly poll en count, mean of 1979-1993) of 14.9% for the Platanus, 14.8% for gras ses, 9.8% for Olea and 3.6% for Plantago. The Platanus is one of the m ost frequently found pollens in the atmosphere over Madrid. At present , in this geographical area, a high percentage of patients with pollin osis are sensitive to this pollen. At least in some of these patients Platanus pollen is capable of inducing rhinitis and bronchial asthma.