Effects of Repeated Nasal Allergen Challenges in Allergic Rhinitis with or without Asthma
Author Information
Author(s): Marie-Claire Rousseau, Marie-Eve Boulay, Loie Goronfolah, Judah Denburg, Paul Keith, Louis-Philippe Boulet
Primary Institution: Centre de recherche, Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec
Hypothesis
What are the effects of 4 consecutive daily nasal allergen challenges on clinical and inflammatory parameters in rhinitics with or without asthma?
Conclusion
Multiple nasal allergen challenges may induce different symptoms in rhinitic subjects with and without asthma, but no cumulative effect or late response was observed.
Supporting Evidence
- Significant increase in symptom scores and nasal blockage index was observed after each daily nasal allergen challenge.
- Asthmatic subjects reported more nasal obstruction, while rhinitics without asthma reported more rhinorrhea.
- Nasal lavage eosinophils increased after 4 days of challenges in both groups.
Takeaway
The study tested people with allergies to see how they reacted to allergens over several days, finding that those with asthma had more nasal blockage, while those without asthma had more runny noses.
Methodology
Participants underwent a control challenge followed by 4 consecutive daily nasal allergen challenges, with symptom scores and nasal blockage index recorded.
Potential Biases
Potential bias from the exclusion of subjects with recent corticosteroid use and the controlled environment of the study.
Limitations
The study was conducted outside the pollen season, which may limit generalizability to other times of the year.
Participant Demographics
32 non-smoking subjects, 19 with mild asthma and 13 without asthma, aged 19-41.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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