Activities

Seroepidemiological investigations have been carried out in Switzerland since 1983.
The immune system has the task of protecting against serious infectious diseases. Allergies mean an excessive, harmful reaction. Protective and pathogenic immune reactions can be detected in the blood (serologically). The working group coordinates, for example, studies of exposure (pollen load) with epidemiological methods, e.g. frequency of sensitisation to molecular allergens.

Selected publications:

• Gassner M. and Wüthrich B. (2000). Farmers’ children suffer less from hay fever and asthma. Dtsch Med Wochenschr. 125(31-32):924-31. doi: 10.1055/s-2000-6778. LINK
• Braun-Fahrländer et al. (2004). No further increase in asthma, hay fever and atopic sensitisation in adolescents living in Switzerland. Eur Respir J 2004; 23: 407–413 DOI: 10.1183/09031936.04.00074004. LINK
• Gassner, M., Gehrig, R., & Schmid-Grendelmeier, P. (2013). Hay fever as a Christmas gift. New England Journal of Medicine, 368(4), 393-394. LINK
• Gassner M. (2014). Farmers and Their Environment: Protective Influences of the Farming Environment against the Development of Allergies. In: Bergmann K-C, Ring J (eds): History of Allergy. Chem Immunol Allergy. Basel, Karger, 2014, vol 100, pp 278–286.  LINK
• Gassner et al. (2019). Ash pollen allergy and aerobiology. Allergo J Int 28, 289–298. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40629-019-00105-6. LINK