Pediatr Allergy Respir Dis.  2004 Jun;14(2):150-159.

Effect of Coexistence of Allergic Rhinitis in Mild Persistent Asthma on Lower Airway Eosinophilic Inflammation

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Fatima Hospital, Taegu, Korea.
  • 2Department of Laboratory Medicine, Fatima Hospital, Taegu, Korea. imjukang@hanmail.net

Abstract

PURPOSE
Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated that rhinitis and asthma commonly coexist in the same patients and that a temporary relationship exists between the onset of rhinitis and asthma, with rhinitis frequently preceeding the development of asthma. Despite the compelling evidence that rhinitis has a remarkable impact on asthma, it has been controversial how the presence of rhinitis causes asthma to be worsen. We studied to know the effect of coexistence of allergic rhinitis on lower airway eosinophilic inflammation in mild persistent bronchial asthma. METHODS: A total of 129 mild persistent asthmatics were enrolled and divided into three different groups as follows: 37 cases with asthma only; 40 cases with mild allergic rhinitis; and 52 cases with moderate to severe allergic rhinitis. Methacholine challage test and sputum induction were performed and sputum ECP, sputum eosinophils and bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) were compared in each group. RESULTS: In mild asthmatics with moderate to severe allergic rhinitis, the BHR to methacholine increased compared to those with mild or no allergic rhinitis. Eosinophils and ECP in induced sputum were significantly higher in more severe allergic rhinitis groups. We also found a significant correlation between BR index and sputum eosinophils. (gamma=0.578, P< 0.05) CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated that the severity of allergic rhinitis was related to lower airway eosinophilic inflammation and bronchial hyperresponsiveness in mild persistent asthmatics with allergic rhinitis.

Keyword

Respiratory tract; Eosinophil; Inflammation; Asthma; Allergic rhinitis; Children

MeSH Terms

Asthma*
Child
Eosinophils*
Epidemiologic Studies
Humans
Inflammation*
Methacholine Chloride
Respiratory System
Rhinitis*
Sputum
Methacholine Chloride
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