Australian researchers have developed a blood test that can accurately detect one of the commonest causes of hay fever — an advance that opens the door to new treatments to ease seasonal sneezing.
The research, by the University of Queensland and Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology, could help tens of thousands of sufferers who endure the annual misery of runny noses and itchy eyes when the pollen count climbs,
Medical Xpress reports.
Janet Davies, M.D., an allergy expert from UQ's School of Medicine, said grass pollen allergies are a significant problem across the globe in spring and summer.
"Here in Australia, grass pollen allergy accounts for about two-thirds of all hay fever, with Bahia grass a major culprit, especially in the northern states of Queensland, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and parts of New South Wales," she said.
Dr. Davies' research team has isolated the allergen responsible in Bahia pollen — the so-called "Pas n 1" molecule — and, with scientists at Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology developed the first accurate blood test to identify it in hay fever sufferers.