Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026

Absorption of Nasal and Bronchial Fluids: Precision Sampling of the Human Respiratory Mucosa and Laboratory Processing of Samples
Published on: January 21, 2018
Nasal epithelium integrity, environmental stressors, and allergic sensitization: a biomarker study in adolescents
Antonia Sardella1, Catherine Voisin, Marc Nickmilder
1Louvain Centre for Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Catholic University of Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Abstract:
Changes in the airways epithelium caused by environmental insults might play a role in the development of allergic rhinitis. We measured albumin and Clara cell protein (CC16) in the nasal lavage fluid (NALF) from 474 adolescents (263 girls and 211 boys). The NALF CC16/albumin ratio, integrating the permeability and cellular integrity of the nasal epithelium, decreased mostly with time spent in chlorinated pools. In boys, a lower CC16/albumin ratio in NALF was associated with an increased risk of house dust mite sensitization. The results suggest that the CC16/albumin ratio in NALF can be used to detect nasal epithelium alterations linked to allergic sensitization.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Asthma I: Introduction
Asthma-I: Introduction

