In Japan patients with Japanese Cedar (JC) pollinosis have increased nation widely since the latter of 1970’s. Japanese Governments has begun to take preventive measures against JC pollinosis and airborne pollen monitoring has been begun to investigate as a causative agent since 1986 [1]. We have estimated the longitudinal investigation result for effective prevention and treatment against pollinosis in Japan.

We have monitored airborne pollen all year around since July 1986 by gravitational pollen sampler, Durham’s sampler, at 15 locations for long time in Japan Island. Pollen samples were sent to our hospital and we stained by Calberla solution and counted pollen number per cm² through microscope [2]. And then we classified pollen grains as the allergic causative agent. We estimated distribution of main allergic pollen in Japan.

We have collaborated these facilities for monitoring as shown Figure 1, Sapporo (Wagatsuma children Clinic), Sendai (Tohoku University), Niigat (Fujisaki Clinic), Toyama (Toyama University),Takasaki (Sato Clinic), Sagamihara (NHO Sagamihara Hospital), Hamamatsu (Tokai Pollinosis Institute), Tsu (NHO Mie Hospital), Wakayama (Wakayama Red Cross Hosp.), Fukuoka (Kyushu University), Kumamoto (Kumamoto University), Miyazaki (Miyazaki University) and Yakushima (Kagoshima University, The Foresty Agency).

Figure 1: The locations of airborne pollen monitoring by Durham�s Sampler.

Table 1 shows each pollination season approximately of main important pollen from start to end of pollen grains dispersing term all Japan Island.

Table 1: Tree pollen pollination season in Japan.

Table 2 and Figure 2 show each arithmetic mean pollen counts and the bar chart. Japanese Cedar pollen number was the most of all, more than 40%, next cypress family, about 20%. They were occupied of more than 60% of all and they increased with the remarkable annual fluctuation as the allergen of JC pollinosis [3]. Beech family pollen counting was also increasing and occupied about 10% of all pollen counts. There is cross-reactivity between beech and birch family which related with oral allergic syndrome [3].

Figure 2: The prevalence of important pollen count at each location.

Table 2: Main Tree Pollen Counts per cm²per year at each location in Japan

In future new occurrences of oral allergy syndrome due to increasing allergic tree pollen grains would be appeared. The continuous pollen research should be important for patients with pollinosis in Japan.