Allergens in weed pollen

Abstract

 Plants that disperse pollen as allergens are classified as either woody or herbaceous. Children with atopic dermatitis and food allergies are more likely to be sensitized to herbaceous pollen, such as those from grasses. The grasses known to produce allergenic pollen include Phleum pretense (Timothy) and Dactylis glomerata (orchard grass) from the Poaceae family, and Ambrosia artemisiifolia (ragweed) and Artemisia (mugwort) from the Asteraceae family. Poaceae pollen shares common allergens across different genera ; its major allergens are believed to be Phl p 1 and Phl p 5. In contrast, the antigenicity of Asteraceae pollens differs greatly across genera ; thus, it is necessary to distinguish from among them. Amb a 1 and Amb a 11 are the major allergens in ragweed pollen ; Art v 1 is the major allergen in mugwort pollen. Those three antigens are thought to cause pollen-food allergy syndrome (PFAS). Affected patients should be made aware of cross-antigens, which include Phl p 12 for grass pollen, Amb a 8 for ragweed pollen, and Art v 3 and Art v 4 for mugwort pollen. The pollen dispersal distance of herbaceous plants is shorter than that of Japanese cedar and Japanese cypress, and is strongly influenced by the surrounding vegetation.