NEW AEROALLERGENS - INTERACTIONS BETWEEN ALLERGENS AND ENVIRONMENTAL-FACTORS

There is a qualitative as well as a quantitative change in allergen ex posure. From a qualitative viewpoint, the relevance of some allergens (domestic allergens i.e. cockroaches, outdoor allergens i.e. plane tre e, chesnut and ash tree pollens) has been established. The role of som e other allergens has been, strictly speaking, discovered: latex from Hevea and ficus, trichophyton mold, some occupational allergens and ve ry recently transgenic allergens. From a quantitative viewpoint, the c oncentration and/or distribution of some allergens has increased Plant ation of numerous trees or fortuitous introduction of weeds has led to an increased specific sensitization. In likemanner, introduction of n ew foods or food processing procedures has created new food allergens anti allergy. Besides the distribution of some well-known aero-allerge ns is better known since discovery of ELISA - technology allowing meas urements of minute amounts of these allergens. A burning issue today i s to know whether irritant factors could modify allergens. Few data, s ometimes contradictory are available in the field of interaction betwe en air polluants and allergens.