Relationship between rhinitis severity and lung function in children and adolescents without asthma

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Allergology
• Pediatric Respiratory Health

Background:

• The upper and lower airways are clinically recognized as a "unique airway."
• Subclinical spirometric abnormalities are observed in rhinitis patients without asthma, potentially correlating with rhinitis severity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate subclinical lung function alterations and bronchodilator reversibility in children and adolescents with allergic (AR) and non-allergic rhinitis (NAR) without asthma.
• To correlate these findings with the clinical grade of rhinitis using the ARIA classification.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional analytical study included 193 patients aged 5-18 years with AR or NAR without asthma.
• Spirometry using flow-volume curves was performed to analyze respiratory function abnormalities and bronchodilator response.
• An adjusted logistic model was used to assess the relationship between rhinitis grade and lung function/reversibility.

Main Results:

• 42% of patients exhibited spirometric abnormalities.
• Moderate-to-severe persistent rhinitis was linked to greater lung function impairment (p=0.009) and was associated with rhinitis frequency (p=0.03) and severity (p=0.04), but not atopic status (p=0.28).
• Positive bronchodilator response was more common in moderate-to-severe rhinitis grades compared to mild forms (p=0.04).

Conclusions:

• Lung function abnormalities are more prevalent in moderate-to-severe persistent rhinitis, associated with rhinitis frequency and severity, independent of atopic status.
• Bronchodilator reversibility was observed in patients with both intermittent and persistent moderate-to-severe rhinitis.