ABSTRACT
Grass pollens represent a major component of the airborne allergen load during the spring and summer months in most parts of the world. They are responsible for the symptoms in the majority of allergic rhinitis patients and can also trigger asthma. The diagnosis and treatment of grass pollen allergy with grass pollen allergen extracts/vaccines is nearly a hundred years old and their use for immunotherapy is unequaled by any other allergen vaccine. Since Charles Blackley’s initial investigations (1) during the 1870s that led to the identification of grass pollen as the cause of his own illness, the study of grass pollen allergens has continued to fascinate botanists, allergists/immunologists and more recently, molecular biologists. In this chapter, the grass family (Poaceae), their ecology, and pollen allergens will be described. Special attention will be given to the molecular characteristics of grass pollen allergens with regard to their cross-reactivities.
