Laboratory of Aerobiology, Department of Systematic and Environmental Botany, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland.
Department of Geosciences, Environment and Spatial Plannings of the Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto and Earth Sciences Institute (ICT), Portugal.
Sci Total Environ. 2023 Dec 20;905:167042. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167042. Epub 2023 Sep 12.
Aeroallergens or inhalant allergens, are proteins dispersed through the air and have the potential to induce allergic conditions such as rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and asthma. Outdoor aeroallergens are found predominantly in pollen grains and fungal spores, which are allergen carriers. Aeroallergens from pollen and fungi have seasonal emission patterns that correlate with plant pollination and fungal sporulation and are strongly associated with atmospheric weather conditions. They are released when allergen carriers come in contact with the respiratory system, e.g. the nasal mucosa. In addition, due to the rupture of allergen carriers, airborne allergen molecules may be released directly into the air in the form of micronic and submicronic particles (cytoplasmic debris, cell wall fragments, droplets etc.) or adhered onto other airborne particulate matter. Therefore, aeroallergen detection strategies must consider, in addition to the allergen carriers, the allergen molecules themselves. This review article aims to present the current knowledge on inhalant allergens in the outdoor environment, their structure, localization, and factors affecting their production, transformation, release or degradation. In addition, methods for collecting and quantifying aeroallergens are listed and thoroughly discussed. Finally, the knowledge gaps, challenges and implications associated with aeroallergen analysis are described.
气传过敏原或吸入性过敏原是散布在空气中的蛋白质，有可能引发过敏症，如鼻炎、结膜炎和哮喘。室外气传过敏原主要存在于花粉粒和真菌孢子中，它们是过敏原的载体。花粉和真菌的气传过敏原具有季节性排放模式，与植物授粉和真菌孢子形成相关，并且与大气天气条件密切相关。当过敏原载体与呼吸系统（例如鼻黏膜）接触时，它们就会被释放出来。此外，由于过敏原载体的破裂，空气中的过敏原分子可能以微纳米和亚微米颗粒（细胞质碎片、细胞壁片段、液滴等）的形式直接释放到空气中，或者黏附在其他空气颗粒物上。因此，气传过敏原的检测策略除了要考虑过敏原载体外，还必须考虑过敏原分子本身。本文旨在介绍室外环境中气传过敏原的现有知识，包括其结构、定位以及影响其产生、转化、释放或降解的因素。此外，还列出并详细讨论了收集和定量气传过敏原的方法。最后，描述了与气传过敏原分析相关的知识空白、挑战和影响。
