Lack of correlation between nonspecific nasal and bronchial reactivity in allergic rhinitis subjects

A link between allergic rhinitis and asthma has long been suspected, allergic rhinitis being considered a precursor of asthma. The hypothesis is that if such a link exists, then nonspecific nasal and bronchial reactivity are already correlated in acute rhinitis patients. To test for this correlation, we compared nonspecific nasal and bronchial reactivity in two groups of rhinitis subjects: 37 rhinitis pollinosis patients tested during the pollen season and 35 rhinitis pollinosis patients tested outside the pollen season. We also assessed how smoking affects this link. In each subject, allergy, nonspecific nasal, and nonspecific bronchial reactivity were tested, and smoking was categorized. We found no correlation between nonspecific nasal and bronchial reactivity in the two nonasthmatic rhinitis groups. During active allergic inflammation (pollinosis season) no shift toward a stronger link between upper and lower airways can be found compared with the latent period (out of pollinosis season). Unexpectedly, among smokers we found a significant relationship between nonspecific nasal and bronchial reactivity. Thus, there is not yet sufficient evidence for a straightforward link between nasal and bronchial hyperreactivity in nonasthmatic pollinosis rhinitis subjects. The development of asthma seems to be crucial for this link.