The study for the relation between pollen count and outbreak of pollinosis for making Korean Pollen Allergy SCale

초록

Background: Pollinosis is one of the allergic diseases which caused by airborne pollens from allergic plants. Incidence of pollinosis has recently been increased in Korea. Korean Pollen Allergy Center has used the pollen allergy scale from National Allergy Bureau (NAB) in USA for reporting pollen count. Therefore, Korean Pollen Allergy Center needs to develop Korean own pollen allergy scale. This study is focused on the evaluation of the relation between pollen count and the outbreak of allergic diseases (symptom index) from allergic patients in Korea and this data would be necessary to evaluate Korean own allergy risk scale for pollen forecasting system. Methods: Airborne particles carrying allergens were collected daily from nationwide 8 stations (Seoul, Guri, Daejeon, Daegu, Kwangju, Busan, Kangneung, and Jeju) by using 7 days-Burkard sampler (Burkard Manufacturing Co Ltd, Hertfordshire, UK) for 2 year in South Korea (March 1, 2007 - October 30, 2008). They were counted and recorded along with the weather factors. For this study, 1029 allergic subjects were recruited from 8 cities near the pollen collecting stations and symptom indices were evaluated and recorded by phone calling to allergic subjects daily. Results: Airborne pollen has two peak seasons that is March to May and August to September in Korea. There was the tree pollen seasons from the middle of February to late July, then followed during the grasses and weed season from the middle of August to the middle of October. Among allergic subjects who, Ragweed was the plant with highest sensitization rate, followed by sagebrush, alder, birch, oak, Japanese hop in Korea. Ragweed pollen counts were gradually increased since 2000. There are significantly related between symptom indices from allergic patients and allergic pollen counts and we established Korean allergy risk scale with these data. Conclusion: There are significantly related between symptom index from allergic patients and allergic pollen concentrations. This study completed and presented a risk grading index for allergy pollen. This index would be very useful for Korean pollen forecasting system in future. Risk Grade Alder Birch Oak Pine Ragweed Japanese hop Mugwort Mild 0-49 0-19 0-49 0-499 0-19 0-49 0-19 Moderate 50-99 20-49 50-99 500-999 20-49 50-99 20-49 Severe 100-299 50-99 100-199 1000-1499 50-199 100-299 50-199 Dangerous >300 >100 >200 >1500 >200 >300 >200