Bastl Katharina, Kmenta Maximilian, Berger Markus, Berger Uwe
1Aerobiology and Pollen Information Research Unit, Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
2Paracelsus Medizinische Privatuniversität, Strubergasse 21, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.
World Allergy Organ J. 2018 Oct 16;11(1):24. doi: 10.1186/s40413-018-0203-6. eCollection 2018.
Online pollen diaries and mobile applications nowadays allow easy and fast documentation of pollen allergy symptoms. Such crowd-sourced symptom data provides insights into the development and the onset of a pollen allergy. Hitherto studies of the symptom load index (SLI) showed a discrepancy between the SLI and the total pollen amount of a season, but did not analyze the daily data.
The Patient's Hayfever Diary (PHD) was used as data pool for symptom data. Symptom data of Vienna (Austria) was chosen as a large and local sample size within the study period of 2013 until 2017. The city was divided into three different areas based on equal population densities and different environmental factors. Correlation factors, regression lines, locally weighted smoothing (LOESS) curves and line plots were calculated to examine the data.
Daily SLI and pollen concentration data correlates well and the progress of the SLI within a pollen season is mirrored by the pollen concentrations. The LOESS curves do not deviate much from the regression line and support the linearity of the symptom-pollen correlation on a daily basis. Seasonal SLI data does not follow the same pattern as the respective seasonal pollen indices. Results did not vary in the three areas within Vienna or when compared with the Eastern region of Austria showing no significant spatial variation of the SLI.
Results indicate a linear relationship of the SLI and pollen concentrations/seasonal polllen index (SPIn) on a daily basis for both in general and throughout the season, but not on a seasonal basis. These findings clarify the frequent misinterpretation of the SLI as index that is tightly connected to pollen concentrations, but reflects as well the seasonal variation of the burden of pollen allergy sufferers.
More than just the seasonal pollen index has to be considered when the SLI of a selected pollen season has to be explained. Cross-reactivity to other pollen types, allergen content and air pollution could play a considerable role. The similar behavior of the SLI in Vienna and a whole region indicate the feasibility of a possible symptom forecast in future and justifies the use of a single pollen monitoring station within a city of the size of Vienna.
如今，在线花粉日记和移动应用程序使花粉过敏症状的记录变得轻松快捷。这种众包的症状数据为了解花粉过敏的发展和发作提供了线索。迄今为止，对症状负荷指数（SLI）的研究表明，SLI与一个季节的总花粉量之间存在差异，但未对每日数据进行分析。
将患者花粉热日记（PHD）用作症状数据的数据库。选择奥地利维也纳在2013年至2017年研究期间的症状数据作为一个大型的本地样本。根据相等的人口密度和不同的环境因素，将该市划分为三个不同的区域。计算相关因子、回归线、局部加权平滑（LOESS）曲线和线图以检验数据。
每日SLI与花粉浓度数据相关性良好，花粉季节内SLI的变化趋势与花粉浓度一致。LOESS曲线与回归线偏差不大，支持了症状与花粉相关性在每日基础上的线性关系。季节性SLI数据与相应的季节性花粉指数模式不同。在维也纳的三个区域内，以及与奥地利东部地区相比，结果没有差异，表明SLI没有显著的空间变化。
结果表明，SLI与花粉浓度/季节性花粉指数（SPIn）在每日基础上总体以及整个季节都呈线性关系，但在季节性基础上并非如此。这些发现澄清了人们经常将SLI误解为与花粉浓度紧密相关的指数，同时也反映了花粉过敏患者负担的季节性变化。
在解释选定花粉季节的SLI时，需要考虑的不仅仅是季节性花粉指数。对其他花粉类型的交叉反应、过敏原含量和空气污染可能起着相当大的作用。维也纳和整个地区SLI的相似表现表明未来进行症状预测具有可行性，也证明了在维也纳这样规模的城市中使用单个花粉监测站的合理性。
