Association of early life and acute pollen exposure with lung function and exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO). A prospective study up to adolescence in the GINIplus and LISA cohort

Highlights: • Exposure to grass pollen in infancy is associated with reduced lung capacity at 15. • Increased acute grass pollen exposure resulted in higher airway inflammation levels. • Associations between pollen and airway inflammation are stronger in greener areas. • Birch pollen is associated with reduced lung function only in sensitised adolescents. Pollen exposure has both acute and chronic detrimental effects on allergic asthma, but little is known about its wider effects on respiratory health. This is increasingly important knowledge as ambient pollen levels are changing with the changing global climate.