Intradermal tests with vasomotor agents in perennial non-allergic rhinitis

Nasal reactivity in non-allergic rhinitis patients is well known, but the skin reactivity of these patients is less examined. The aim of this prospective study was to examine the skin reactivity to four vasomotor agents in healthy subjects and perennial non-allergic rhinitis patients and to determine whether rhinitis patients differ from healthy subjects or not. Seventy four perennial non-allergic rhinitis patients and fourty two healthy subjects were undergone to intradermal testing with papaverine (5 mg/ml), metacholine (0.02, 0.2 and 2.0 mg/ml), histamine (0.01, 0.1 and 10.0 micrograms/ml) and compound 48/80 (0.01, 0.1, 1.0 and 10.0 micrograms/ml). It was found that the frequency of pathological skin reactivity to papaverine in perennial non-allergic rhinitis patients (34%) was significantly greater (p = 0.007) then in healthy subjects (9.5%). There was no significant difference for metacholine, histamine, compound 48/80 and saline between these two groups. The frequency of the total pathological skin reactivity to vasomotor agents, singly and in combinations, in perennial non-allergic rhinitis patients (80%) was significantly greater (p = 1.8.10(-6)) then in healthy subjects (33%). These findings suggest that the pathological skin reactivity to vasomotor agents is a feature of perennial non-allergic rhinitis patients as well as healthy subjects and indicate that a difference in the skin reactivity between these groups is noticed.