Influence of alpine mountain climate of Bavaria on patients with atopic diseases: studies at the Environmental Research Station Schneefernerhaus (UFS - Zugspitze) - a pilot study

Bernadette Eberlein; Johannes Huss-Marp; Florian Pfab; Rainald Fischer; Regina Franz; Michele Schlich; Maria Leibl; Veronika Allertseder; Jarmila Liptak; Marie Kriegisch; Romain Hennico; Julia Latotski; Cordula Ebner von Eschenbach; Ulf Darsow; Jeroen Buters; Heidrun Behrendt; Rudolf Huber; Johannes Ring

doi:10.1186/2045-7022-4-17

Influence of alpine mountain climate of Bavaria on patients with atopic diseases: studies at the Environmental Research Station Schneefernerhaus (UFS - Zugspitze) - a pilot study

Clin Transl Allergy. 2014 May 8:4:17. doi: 10.1186/2045-7022-4-17. eCollection 2014.

Authors

Bernadette Eberlein¹, Johannes Huss-Marp², Florian Pfab², Rainald Fischer³, Regina Franz⁴, Michele Schlich⁴, Maria Leibl⁴, Veronika Allertseder⁴, Jarmila Liptak⁴, Marie Kriegisch², Romain Hennico², Julia Latotski², Cordula Ebner von Eschenbach², Ulf Darsow⁴, Jeroen Buters², Heidrun Behrendt², Rudolf Huber³, Johannes Ring⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Dermatology and Allergy Biederstein, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany ; Center of Allergy and Environment (ZAUM, Zentrum Allergie und Umwelt), Technische Universität and Helmholtz Center, Munich, Germany.
² Center of Allergy and Environment (ZAUM, Zentrum Allergie und Umwelt), Technische Universität and Helmholtz Center, Munich, Germany.
³ Division of Respiratory Medicine Campus Innenstadt, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.
⁴ Department of Dermatology and Allergy Biederstein, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany.

Abstract

Mountain and maritime climate therapy takes advantage of specific climatic conditions to treat chronic allergic diseases. It was the aim of the study to investigate effects of a 5 day sojourn on atopic diseases at the highest German mountain. In this pilot study 18 patients with grass pollen-induced rhinoconjunctivitis, atopic ezcema or asthma and 11 non-allergic controls were included. Skin physiology parameters, changes of the respiratory and nasal functions, subjective symptoms and blood parameters were measured during a 5-day observation period in the Environmental Research Station Schneefernerhaus (UFS) at the moderate altitude mountain region (Zugspitze; 2650 m alt.) compared to a low altitude area (Munich; 519 m alt.). Several of the skin physiology parameters changed significantly during the observation period (decrease of skin hydration, increase of skin smoothness, skin roughness, skin scaliness and pH-value). In patients with atopic eczema, the SCORAD (Severity Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis) and the scores of the DIELH (Deutsches Instrument zur Erfassung der Lebensqualität bei Hauterkrankungen) did not change significantly. Histamine induced itch decreased significantly. Parameters of nasal function did not change significantly. Several lung parameters showed a slight, but statistically significant improvement (forced expiratory volume in one second/volume capacity [FEV1/VC], peak expiratory flow [PEF], maximum expiratory flow at 50% of vital capacity [MEF 50], maximal mid-expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of vital capacity [MMFEF 25/75]), whereas the vital capacity (VC) decreased significantly. ECP (eosinophil cationic protein) in the serum and parameters of blood count changed significantly. These results show that the benefit of a moderate altitude mountain climate sojourn over a period of 5 days differs in depending on the atopic disease. Especially asthma parameters and itching of the skin improved. It would be interesting to assess the parameters during longer observation periods in alpine climate.

Keywords: Asthma; Atopic eczema; Environmental Research Station Schneefernerhaus; Moderate-altitude mountain climate; Rhinoconjunctivitis; UFS; Zugspitze.