TY - JOUR
T1 - Evaluation of the cause of nasal and ocular symptoms associated with lawn mowing
AU - Rowe, Michael S.
AU - Bailey, Judith
AU - Ownby, Dennis R.
N1 - Funding Information:
From the Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Depart-ments of Medicine and Pediatrics, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Mich. Supported by the Fund for Henry Ford Hospital. Received for publication Feb. 14, 1985. Accepted for publication Oct. 24, 1985. Reprint requests: Michael S. Rowe, M.D., Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Henry Ford Hospital, 2799 West Grand Blvd., Detroit, MI 48202.
PY - 1986/5
Y1 - 1986/5
N2 - A number of individuals with perennial or seasonal rhinoconjunctivitis state that their symptoms may suddenly worsen on exposure to lawn mowing. Many allergists have believed that this was related to the agitation of molds deposited on the grass. We studied 50 consecutive new patients with rhinitis using history, skin testing, total and specific IgE assays, and nasal smears. Twenty-five patients gave histories of minimal or no change in their nasal symptoms with exposure to lawn mowing, whereas 11 patients had definite, but mild, symptoms, and 14 patients had severe symptoms. Positive skin tests to grasses, trees, and weed pollens were more frequent in those patients with symptoms exacerbated by lawn mowing (p < 0.03). Symptomatic patients also had higher serum concentrations of total IgE (p < 0.008) and grass-pollen specific IgE (p = 0.0004). The frequencies of positive skin tests to ragweed pollens, house dust, molds, and grass leaves, as well as the percentage of nasal eosinophils, were not differentin the symptomatic and asymptomatic groups. No significant association was found between symptoms and IgE antibodies to molds or grass-leaf extract. We believe that the increased nasal and ocular symptoms coincident with lawn mowing are allergic phenomena significantly associated with skin test sensitivity and specific IgE antibodies to grass pollens but not with sensitivity or specific IgE to molds or grass-leaf extract.
AB - A number of individuals with perennial or seasonal rhinoconjunctivitis state that their symptoms may suddenly worsen on exposure to lawn mowing. Many allergists have believed that this was related to the agitation of molds deposited on the grass. We studied 50 consecutive new patients with rhinitis using history, skin testing, total and specific IgE assays, and nasal smears. Twenty-five patients gave histories of minimal or no change in their nasal symptoms with exposure to lawn mowing, whereas 11 patients had definite, but mild, symptoms, and 14 patients had severe symptoms. Positive skin tests to grasses, trees, and weed pollens were more frequent in those patients with symptoms exacerbated by lawn mowing (p < 0.03). Symptomatic patients also had higher serum concentrations of total IgE (p < 0.008) and grass-pollen specific IgE (p = 0.0004). The frequencies of positive skin tests to ragweed pollens, house dust, molds, and grass leaves, as well as the percentage of nasal eosinophils, were not differentin the symptomatic and asymptomatic groups. No significant association was found between symptoms and IgE antibodies to molds or grass-leaf extract. We believe that the increased nasal and ocular symptoms coincident with lawn mowing are allergic phenomena significantly associated with skin test sensitivity and specific IgE antibodies to grass pollens but not with sensitivity or specific IgE to molds or grass-leaf extract.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0022656258&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0022656258&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/0091-6749(86)90416-1
DO - 10.1016/0091-6749(86)90416-1
M3 - Article
C2 - 3700896
AN - SCOPUS:0022656258
SN - 0091-6749
VL - 77
SP - 714
EP - 719
JO - The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
JF - The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
IS - 5
ER -