Korean J Asthma Allergy Clin Immunol.  2009 Mar;29(1):39-45.

Variability of pH Value in Nasal Secretion with Allergic Rhinitis according to the Nasal Symptoms

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In previous studies, pH of nasal cavity has a direct effect on the activity of mucociliary transport and nasal secretory protein of the nasal mucosa. More recent studies have reported the normal nasal mucosal pH to be within the range of 6.8 to 7.0 and nasal mucosal pH in infective rhinitis to be within the range of 7.2 to 8.3. However, previous studies have not focused on factors for pH value in the nasal cavitys and they have measured pH value of nasal mucosa by direct methods. There have been a few studies on pH value of nasal mucosa with allergy.
OBJECTIVE
For objectiveness and reproducibility, this study was designed to evaluate the pH value of nasal secretion by the latest trend pH measured method and to analyze the potential variability of pH value of nasal secretion according to changes of nasal symptoms in patients with allergy. METHOD: All patients in this study were diagnosed with allergic rhinitis by using 2 allergens, Dermatophagoides farinae (Df) and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dp). They were treated only with avoidance of the offending allergens, and their symptomatic improvement was evaluated through questionnaires at the 3-week follow-up. This study included 30 AR patients with symptomatic improve-ment (Group 1) and another 30 AR patients without (Group 2). For pH analysis, nasal secretion was obtained by the filter paper absorption method and estimated pH value of nasal secretion with a pH meter using a micro pH electrode. Measurement was repeated at the first and second visits (after 3 weeks of follow-up) and compared the results of pH value between groups 1 and 2. RESULT: The pH values of nasal secretion were higher in groups 1 and 2 than in normal nasal mucosa from a previous report. The pH values of nasal secretion showed a significant difference between the first and second visits in Group 1 (P<0.01). However, there were no significant difference in pH value between the first and second visits in Group 2.
CONCLUSION
The pH value of nasal secretion is higher AR patients than in normal subjects, results suggest and it differed according to nasal symptoms. These that the pH value of nasal secretion may be a useful parameter for monitoring the conditions of nasal mucosal status and nasal symptoms in AR patients. Further studies with histopathological evaluation are need to enfirm our results.

MeSH Terms

Absorption
Allergens
Antigens, Dermatophagoides
Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus
Electrodes
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Hypersensitivity
Mucociliary Clearance
Nasal Cavity
Nasal Mucosa
Rhinitis
Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial
Surveys and Questionnaires
Allergens
Antigens, Dermatophagoides