Review of Sensitization to Prevalent Allergens in Iran and Their Geographical Distribution Fardis Teifoori*1,2, Idoia Postigo1, Mohammad Abtahi3, Mehdi Dehghani4, Jorge Martinez1 1Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Laboratory of Parasitology and Allergy, Lascaray Research Centre, University of the Basque Country, Vitoria, Spain. 2Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, Health Pioneers Clinical Laboratory, Vilashahr, Isfahan, Iran. 3Department of Mycology and Parasitology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Science, Isfahan, Iran. 4Department of Biology. Faculty of Sciences. University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran. A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T Review Article The prevalence of allergic diseases has been on the rise during past decades. Epidemiological studies have shown that extensive exposure to bio-aerosols causes VacRes, 2020, adverse health effects such as respiratory disorders, allergic reactions and infections. Vol. 7, No.2, 1-8 Aeroallergens are allergic airborne particles that disperse from environmental sources Received: July 06, 2020 over great distances by air currents and ultimately are inhaled by, ingested by, or come Accepted: October 24, 2020 into contact with individuals who have had no previous contact with the allergenic agent. Pasteur Institute of Iran The most important bioaerosols in Iran are pollen grains, molds, house dust mites, and *Corresponding Author: animal dander causing many allergic reactions in the country every year. Geographical Fardis Teifoori, variation is an important role in the prevalence of allergic diseases, most likely due to Department of Immunology, different environmental factors. Therefore, identifying geographical and seasonal Microbiology and Parasitology, distribution of allergens not only enables us to warn patients to avoid them but also Faculty of Pharmacy and contributes significantly in the diagnosis, prevention and management of the progress of Laboratory of Parasitology and allergic disorders and provides the possibility of performing immunotherapy. The results Allergy, Lascaray Research Centre, of this survey about the most common aeroallergens in different geographic areas of Iran University of the may provide proper prevention activities, vaccine production insights and therefore may Basque Country, Paseo de la reduce the treatment costs for allergic patients. Universidad, Vitoria, Spain Email: [email protected] Tel/Fax: +989132078793, Fax: +34 945013905 KEYWORDS: Aeroallergens, Animal Dander, Allergic reaction, Asthma, Respiratory diseases, Pollen grain The prevalence of allergic diseases such as asthma, atopic The prevalence of allergic disorders differs in various parts dermatitis or allergic respiratory diseases has had a rapid, of Iran due to different allergen types that induce the diseases. Downloaded from vacres.pasteur.ac.ir at 23:01 IRST on Friday October 1st 2021 [ DOI: 10.52547/vacres.7.2.1 ] exponential increase throughout the world over recent decades There is a complex interaction between genetic factors and the [1]. According to the epidemiological data from phase III of the environment, especially air pollution, which is an important International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood cause of immunologic sensitization and occupational diseases, (ISAAC), asthma and allergic rhinitis have increased in several such as asthma, rhinitis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis [4] and regions, including the Asian continent. The prevalence of mycoses [5]. The standard methods for the diagnosis of type I allergic diseases in Asia varies widely depending on the allergic diseases are cutaneous tests, determination of the total geographic area; however, there has been an increase in the and specific IgE levels, the basophil activation test and prevalence from 0.8% to 29.1% for asthma and from 5% to provocation tests [6]. Moreover, the efficacy of the diagnosis of 45% for allergic rhinitis, as communities have adopted modern type I allergic diseases and the subsequent specific treatment lifestyles and have become urbanized [2]. There are a variety of depends largely on the knowledge of the distribution of sources of major allergenic proteins that cause respiratory allergens in the areas in question and the consideration of the allergies, and pollen grains, arthropods (house dust mites and importance of those region-specific allergens [7, 3]. Accurate insects), molds, and epithelia are the most important ones. The allergen selection for provocation tests should be based on their components of these allergenic sources can play important roles method of production, quality control and standardization in pathogenesis of allergic diseases [3]. proposals. Moreover, the clinical history of the patient’s symptoms, age, environmental exposures and characteristics, 1 http://vacres.pasteur.ac.ir Teifoori et al Distribution of Main Aeroallergens in Iran occupational situation and hobbies must be considered in the in different parts of Iran up to 2020. This will be valuable for interpretation of the allergy test [6]. the prevention and treatment of allergic diseases and might help In this paper, considering the importance of allergic other related fields such as immunotherapy and vaccine reactions that may occur upon exposure to allergens, we development. For the summary of the reviewed papers see provide an extensive overview based on traditional reviews of Table1. The assessment of the main findings is discussed in the prevalence of major aeroallergens and sensitivities to them more detail below. Table1. Summary of reviewed papers on sensitivity to the main aeroallergens in different regions of Iran (supplementary to Table 1 in Teifoori et al. 2018 [8]). Region The most Prevalent aeroallergens Complication Diagnostic Method Reference Bushehr Yeast, Aspergillus, Alternaria and Penicillium Allergic Skin Prick Test [9] symptoms Mashhad Pollen grains (Kali tragus and Fraxinus excelsior) Allergic Skin Prick Test [10] symptoms Birjand Pollen grains (Cupressus, Quercus and Secale) and Cockroaches Atopic standard [11] Mites (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus dermatitis taxonomic keys D. farina) Tehran Pollen grains (Salsola, Festuca and Secale Allergic Multiplex assay [12] symptoms (Specific IgE Assay) Mashhad Pollen grains Allergic Skin Prick Test [13] (kali tragus and Amaranthus spp.) symptoms Ahvaz Pollen grains (Salsola Kali, Lolium perenn and Salix caprea), mites Allergic ImmunoCAP [14] (Dermatophagoides farina) and cockroaches symptoms system (Blatella germanica) Tehran Pollen grains (grasses) and Allergic Skin Prick Test [15] mites symptoms Zanjan Mites, molds and cockroach Allergic Skin Prick Test [16] symptoms Shiraz Mites (Musca domestica and Dermanyssus gallinae) Allergic Skin Prick Test [17] symptoms Gorgan Mites Atopic Skin Prick Test [18] Dermatitis Shiraz Cockroach (Blatella germanica), Mites (Dermatophagoides farina) Allergic ELISA assay [19] symptoms Tehran Pollen grains (trees, Salsola, Cynodon dactylon and Phleum pratense Allergic RIDA Allergy [20] symptoms Screen test Firuzkuh Simulium kiritshenkoi fever and clinical signs and [21] dermatitis symptoms Downloaded from vacres.pasteur.ac.ir at 23:01 IRST on Friday October 1st 2021 [ DOI: 10.52547/vacres.7.2.1 ] North of Dermatophagoides farinae Allergic standard [22] D. pteronyssinus symptoms taxonomic keys Iran Pollen Grains grains has increased in past years, rising up to 86.7% of the Our knowledge of the most common wind-pollinated allergic patients in different cities, depending on plants and their local distribution and flowering times is highly phytogeography, humidity, air pollution and temperature valuable for the control of allergic disorders caused by pollen conditions [24-29]. According to local studies, there are three grains. There are approximately 100,000 pollen allergens; main sources of pollen allergens in Iran. Firstly, the wind however, only anemophilous plants (which produce large pollinated taxa of Amaranthaceae and Asteraceae families, quantities of tiny pollen grains that become airborne for days especially Artemisia, Kali tragus (previously Salsola kali), with a density higher than 25 grains per cubic meter of air), can Chenopodium album, Bassia scoparia (previously Kochia initiate an allergy [23]. The prevalence of allergies to pollen scoparia), Amaranthus retroflexus and Amaranthus palmeri. 2 2020 Vol. 7 No. 2 Teifoori et al Distribution of Main Aeroallergens in Iran Pollen of Kali tragus is the most commonplace aeroallergen in [42], indicating the potential allergenic role of this ornamental many cities of Iran, inducing highest amounts of allergic tree. rhinitis comparing to other taxa [7, 24, 26, 28, 30-33, 13, 20, 10, 14, 15]. Moreover, Kali tragus shows a close allergenic House Dust Mites and Other Arthropods relationship and cross-reactivity with Caroxylon incanescens Arthropods, such as house dust mites, cockroaches and the (previously Salsola incanescens) [34], stemming from their larvae of some other insects, are recognized as an important close evolutionary relationship. Secondly, the anemophilous source of aeroallergens causing allergic disease [43]. According trees such as most gymnosperms (for example Cupressus to the available sources, contamination by house dust mites and sempervirens and Pinus spp.), Phoenix dactylifera, Prosopis human sensitivity to them usually occur in humid and warm juliflora, Fraxinus excelsior, Salix caprea, Ulmus sp., Quercus climates of northern and southern parts of Iran [25, 44, 32]. sp. and