NARROW-LEAVED CATTAIL POLLINOSIS

Abstract

Narrow-leaved cattails (n-1 cattails), Typha angustifolia L., are generally distributed in Japan. Although the positive rate of skin test with n-1 cattail extract had been reported relatively high, n-1 cattail pollinosis had not yet been confirmed in Japan.The two cases presented here from Mito district in Ibaraki prefecture mainly complained of sneezing attack, nasal stuffiness and watery nasal discharge at the time of n-l cattail pollination, from July to August. They gave positive intradermal and nasal provocative reactions with n-1 cattail pollen extract. In their sera anti-n-l-cattail IgE antibodies were detected.Another allergens were not detected as the cause of their nasal allergy. Their symptoms were controlled largely through perennial n-1 cattail pollen hyposensitization.In Mito district, n-1 cattails grew thick and pollination was evidenced by pollen survey and positive rate of skin test n-1 cattail pollen extract was significantly higher than that of another district in Japan. It, therefore, was thought that many indviduals in this district had been sensitized with n-1 cattail pollens.Analyzing the distribution of the grade of skin reaction, the specificity of n-1 cattail allergen extract was comfirmed. From the correlation of skin tests between cattail and other several allergens, it was concluded that there was no cross antigenicity between n-1 cattail extract and others except another species in “Typha L.”