Climate Change Influences the Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) Pollen Count and Sensitization Rate in South Korea

Background Japanese cedar pollen (JCP) is the major outdoor allergen for spring pollinosis and seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) caused by JCP is the most common disease in Jeju Island, South Korea and in Japan. Prior to our research, JCP counts were strongly temperature dependent and were significantly associated with the JCP sensitization rate and JC pollinosis. This event may still be ongoing due to the effects of global climate change, such as increasing temperature. Methods and Finding For these reasons, we are studying the correlation among increasing temperatures, the JCP counts in the atmosphere and the JCP sensitization rate. Conclusions In this study, our data show that increasing temperatures in January and April might lead to earlier and longer JCP seasons and that earlier and longer JCP seasons lead to an increase in the JCP sensitization rate, which influences the prevalence of JC pollinosis.