Allergies through Ozone Effects? Ozone Increases Allergen Load
Ozone affects pollen allergens: at ozone levels typical of
photochemical smog, more allergens are formed in pollen. This
connection has been demonstrated in the rye plant and is now
being published in the prestigious Journal of Allergy Clinical
Immunology. The project funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF
shows that elevated ozone levels during maturation increase the
protein and allergen contents of rye pollen. This points to a
relationship between current environmental problems due to
climate change and the rise in allergies.
(firmenpresse) - Ozone Stimulates Rye
The team behind project leader Prof. Rudolf Valenta of the
Centre for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology at the
Medical University of Vienna cultivated two different rye cultivars
under controlled environmental conditions. One group of plants
was exposed to elevated ozone concentrations (79 parts per
billion) for part of the time. This value is more than three times
the normal ozone concentration at ground level, i.e. 22 ppb, and
corresponds to the health-endangering peak values that occur
on hot days in Vienna. A control group was grown at normal
ozone levels for subsequent comparison with the high-ozone
group.
When the pollen was mature, it was harvested and collected for
further study. It yielded very convincing results, as Prof. Valenta
explains: "First, we were able to show that the higher ozone
concentrations led to a marked elevation of the protein content in
both cultivars. Further analysis showed that allergens of groups
1, 5 and 6 contribute to this increase, as does another allergen,
profilin. Even in the second rye cultivar, increased ozone
exposure during pollen maturation led to a sharp rise in group 1
allergens and profilin."
Allergen = Allergy?
This result alone would seem to show that higher ozone levels
can increase the allergic potential of certain grasses. However,
"more allergens" does not necessarily translate to "more
allergies". It was clear to Prof. Valenta and his team that potential
allergens are not always recognized by the immune system and
therefore do not always give rise to allergies. "A study from 2007
shows that ozone can actually decrease the allergenicity of rye
allergens," comments Prof. Valenta. "So there may be more
allergens, as our work shows, but whether these would react
with human IgE antibodies and cause actual allergies was not
clear."
However, another experiment soon provided a clear answer to
this question: protein extracts from both rye cultivars were
incubated with IgE antibodies from allergic patients. The results
showed that the protein extracts from ozone-stressed plants
reacted more strongly with the IgE antibodies, which are
involved in allergic reactions, than those of the control plants,
meaning that the former are more allergenic.
Consequently, the team around Prof. Valenta, Dr. Thomas
Reichenauer and Prof. Verena Niederberger, managed to
demonstrate in this FWF-funded project in a well controlled set of
experiments that environmental problems such as rising ozone
concentrations at ground level may bear some of the
responsibility for the constant increase in allergic disorders in
our society in recent years.
Original publication: Exposure of rye (Secale cereale) cultivars
to elevated ozone levels increases the allergen content in
pollen, J. Eckl-Dorna, B. Klein, T.G. Reichenauer, V.
Niederberger, R. Valenta, J Allergy Clin Immunol.
doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2010.06.012
Image and text available from 09:00 CET Monday, 23rd August
2010 at:
http://www.fwf.ac.at/en/public_relations/press/pv201008-en.html
Scientific Contact:
Prof. Rudolf Valenta
Medical University of Vienna
Centre for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology
Währinger Gürtel 18-20
1090 Vienna, Austria
M +43 / 699 / 12 57 0519
E Rudolf.valenta(at)meduniwien.ac.at
Austrian Science Fund FWF:
Mag. Stefan Bernhardt
Haus der Forschung
Sensengasse 1
1090 Vienna, Austria
T +43 / 1 / 505 67 40 - 8111
E stefan.bernhardt(at)fwf.ac.at
Copy Editing & Distribution:
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T +43 / 1 / 505 70 44
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Vienna, 23th August 2010
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Unternehmensinformation / Kurzprofil:
The Austrian Science Fund (FWF) is Austria's central funding
organization for basic research.
The purpose of the FWF is to support the ongoing development of
Austrian science and basic research at a high international level. In
this way, the FWF makes a significant contribution to cultural
development, to the advancement of our knowledge-based society,
and thus to the creation of value and wealth in Austria.
PR&D - Public Relations for Research & Education
Campus Vienna Biocenter 2
1030 Vienna, Austria
T +43 / 1 / 505 70 44
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Datum: 23.08.2010 - 14:50 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 24826
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contact information:
Contact person: Michaela Kaiserlehner
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Phone: 01 5057044
Kategorie:
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Typ of Press Release: Erfolgsprojekt
type of sending: Veröffentlichung
Date of sending: 23.08.2010
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