J Korean Med Sci.  2002 Dec;17(6):761-764. 10.3346/jkms.2002.17.6.761.

Nasal Eosinophilic Inflammation Contributes to Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness in Patients with Allergic Rhinitis

• Jang AS

• KMID: 648784
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2002.17.6.761

Abstract

There are increasing evidences that allergic rhinitis (AR) may influence the clinical course of asthma. We conducted methacholine challenge test and nasal eosinophils on nasal smear to patients with allergic rhinitis in order to investigate the mechanism of connecting upper and lower airway inflammation in 35 patients with AR during exacerbation. The methacholine concentration causing a 20% fall in FEV1 (PC20) was used as thresholds of bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR). Thresholds of 25 mg/dL or less were assumed to indicate BHR. All patients had normal pulmonary function. Significant differences in BHR were detected in the comparison of patients with cough or postnasal drip and without cough or postnasal drip. There were significant differences of PC20 between patients with cough or postnasal drip and those without cough or postnasal drip (3.41 +/-3.59 mg/mL vs 10.2 +/-1.2 mg/mL, p=0.001). The levels of total IgE were higher in patients with seasonal AR than in patients with perennial AR with exacerbation (472.5 +/-132.5 IU/L vs. 389.0 +/-70.9 IU/L, p<0.05). Nasal eosinophils were closely related to log PC20 (r=-0.65, p<0.01). These findings demonstrated that nasal eosinophilic inflammation might contribute to BHR in patients with AR.

Keyword

Rhinitis; Allergic; Eosinophils; Bronchial Diseases; Methacholine Chloride; Asthma

MeSH Terms

Adult
Bronchi/*immunology
Bronchial Hyperreactivity/*immunology
Eosinophils/*immunology
Female
Humans
Immunoglobulin E/blood
Inflammation
Male
Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial/*immunology
Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal/*immunology
Spirometry
Time Factors