Effect of High Air-Borne Pollen Count on First Degree Asymptomatic Relatives of Asthmatic Patients

Abstract

Background: To correlate pollen count with
pulmonary function tests in first degree asymptomatic
relatives of asthmatic patients as well as in asthmatic
patients as control sharing common genetic and
environmental exposure.
Methods: The study was cross-sectional comparative
comprising of 120 subjects, of whom 60 were the first
degree asymptomatic relatives of non-asthmatic patients.
Portable office spirometry was carried out along with
pollen count on the same day taken from the meterological
department data.
Result: The spirometric variables like PEFR, FEV1,
FEV6 and FEV1/FEV6 were deranged as pollen count
increased. The changes in these variables were found to be
present before development of clinical signs and
symptoms of pollen allergy.
Conclusion: High risk individuals like first-degree
relatives not having symptoms of pollen allergy show
decrement in pulmonary function tests parameters during
high pollen count seasons.