Associations Between Subjective Symptoms and Serum Immunoglobulin E Levels During Asian Dust Events

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Shinji Otani²  Kazunari Onishi¹  Haosheng Mu¹  Takenobu Hosoda¹  Youichi Kurozawa¹ 

[1] Division of Health Administration and Promotion, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago 683-8503, Japan; E-Mails:;Division of Surgical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago 683-8504, Japan; E-Mail:

关键词: Asian dust;    type 1 allergic reaction;    immunoglobulin E;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijerph110807636

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Asian dust is a seasonal meteorological phenomenon caused by the displacement of atmospheric pollutants from the Mongolian and Chinese deserts. Although the frequency of Asian dust events and atmospheric dust levels have steadily increased in the eastern Asia region, the effects on human health remain poorly understood. In the present study, the impact of Asian dust on human health was determined in terms of allergic reactions. A total of 25 healthy volunteers were tested for a relationship between serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels and subjective symptoms during a 3-day Asian dust event recorded in April 2012. They filled daily questionnaires on the severity of nasal, pharyngeal, ocular, respiratory, and skin symptoms by a self-administered visual analog scale. Serum levels of non-specific IgE and 33 allergen-specific IgE molecules were analyzed. Spearman rank-correlation analysis revealed significant positive associations between nasal symptom scores and 2 microbial-specific IgE levels (Penicillium and Cladosporium). Microbes migrate vast distances during Asian dust events by attaching themselves to dust particles. Therefore, some of these symptoms may be associated with type 1 allergic reactions to certain type of microbes.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.