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Updated: Aug 16, 2026

Symptom Assessment of Patients with Allergic Rhinitis Using an Allergen Exposure Chamber
Published on: March 3, 2023
Nasal obstruction is the key symptom in hay fever patients
Giorgio Ciprandi1, Ignazio Cirillo, Catherine Klersy
1Cirillo and Vizzaccaro Ospedale Marina Militare, Genoa, Italy. gio.cip@libero.it
Background:
Allergic rhinitis is characterized by a Th2-dependent inflammation. Nasal obstruction largely depends on allergic inflammation.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible role of the symptom nasal obstruction in assessing patients with hay fever.
Methods:
Fifty patients (mean age, 23.7 +/- 4.9 years) with hay fever were evaluated both during and outside pollen season. All of them had moderate-severe grade of nasal obstruction. Total symptom score (TSS), rhinomanometry, nasal lavage, nasal scraping, spirometry, and methacholine bronchial challenge were performed in all subjects.
Results:
During the pollen season, patients with severe nasal obstruction showed significantly higher values of TSS, IL-4, IL-5, IL-8, nasal eosinophils and neutrophils, and significantly lower values of nasal airflow, IFNgamma, FEV1, FVC, and FEF 25-75 in comparison with patients with moderate nasal obstruction. Twenty (83%) patients with severe nasal obstruction showed bronchial hyperreactivity (BHR), whereas only 6 (25%) patients with moderate nasal obstruction had BHR. Outside the pollen season overlapping results were observed.
Conclusions:
This study provides evidence about the key role played by nasal obstruction in assessing patients with allergic rhinitis.
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