Meng Y, Wang Y, Lou H, Wang K, Meng N, Zhang L, Wang C.
Chinese investigators hypothesized that local serum specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) can be used for the diagnosis of local allergic rhinitis instead of nasal allergen provocation test.
This prospective single center study included 73 chronic rhinitis patients with negative findings for serum IgE and positive findings for local eosinophils and 10 healthy patients were used as controls. All participants completed questionnaires to record demographic data, nasal symptom severity and physician-diagnosed comorbid asthma.
A visual analogue scale of 10 cm was used to record symptom severity and the allergic status was assessed by serum IgE. Nasal secretions were collected for analysis of local sIgE and eosinophils and nasal allergen provocation test was performed to confirm local allergic rhinitis.
Fourteen patients demonstrated positive local sIgE, with twelve of them having significantly higher local sIgE levels and positive nasal allergen provocation test compared to controls.
In conclusion, the measurement of local sIgE levels in nasal secretions is a reliable and effective diagnostic method for local allergic rhinitis as its sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy was over 90%.
