Allergen-induced leukotriene production by nasal mucosa and peripheral blood leukocytes

The relationship between release of leukotriene C4 (LTC4) from nasal mucosa in vivo and from peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) in vitro was examined in 18 patients with untreated rhinitis allergic to the house dust mite, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, and in 20 nonallergic control subjects following challenge with the specific allergen. Allergic patients were subjected to intranasal and PBL challenge with D pteronyssinus and a nonrelevant allergen, Artemisia vulgaris. In all allergic patients, intranasal challenge by D pteronyssinus, but not by A vulgaris, resulted in a release of substances from the nasal mucosa that reacted in a radioimmunoassay with antiserum to LTC4. Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus challenge in vitro of PBLs from the same patients, but not A vulgaris challenge, induced release of the same immunoreactive material into the supernatant. By comparison, the nonallergic subjects challenged with D pteronyssinus showed significantly lower LTC4 levels in their nasal secretions and PBL supernatants. The results show that, following specific allergen challenge, the release of LTC4 by the allergic nasal mucosa is similar in extent and nature to that of PBLs, indicating that these procedures can be used as tools to measure the efficacy of topically and systemically administered antiallergic drugs.