Current State of Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) Pollen Information and Future Directions for Its Airborne Allergen Determination and Improved Pollen Monitoring

About 40% of cedar pollinosis patients living in the Yamagata Prefecture showed pollinosis symptoms before the first day of the pollen season, which was determined by Durham samplers, the standard sampler for pollen information in Japan. The amount of Cry j 1 (major cedar pollen allergen) per cedar pollen is reported to be six pg. This amount is difficult to measure using the ELISA method, so we applied the highly sensitive ESR radical immunoassay method to measure the allergen; now we can provide information for sensitive patients. It revealed that Cry j 1 exists in orbicles and tapetum. It is presumed that it is smaller than pollen, so it comes from a place where cedar are already in bloom. It is desirable to obtain real-time information on an hourly basis. Currently, information from automatic cedar pollen monitors is becoming main-stream. However, this monitor may count during snowfalls, Asian dust flying, etc., even when there was no apparent pollen examined with a microscope. This paper describes the current status of automatic cedar pollen monitors, their usefulness, and their advantages and disadvantages in comparison with results obtained by other methods of measurement. Lastly, the paper describes expectations for cedar pollen information in the future.