Serum Periostin as a Potential Biomarker in the Evaluation of Allergic Rhinitis: A Pilot Study

Although periostin has recently emerged as a new mediator in chronic allergic diseases, particularly in upper airway disease, its significance as a biomarker for allergic rhinitis (AR) is still unclear. Therefore, we aimed to assess the potential of periostin as a novel candidate biomarker for diagnosing and assessing the severity of AR.

A total of 40 patients with AR and 22 healthy controls, all aged over 18 years, were recruited for the study. Participants underwent examinations to assess serum levels of total IgE (tIgE), specific IgE (sIgE), periostin, and remodeling-related factors, as well as fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and fractional nasal nitric oxide (FnNO). Additionally, clinical characteristics questionnaire and nasal function assessments were completed by AR patients.

The levels of serum periostin were significantly higher in patients with AR compared to healthy controls (Z=-3.605, p<0.001). There was a notable positive correlation between serum periostin and FeNO (r=0.398, p=0.012), FnNO (r=0.379, p=0.017), as well as the visual analogue scale (VAS) score for ocular tearing (r=0.351, p=0.026) in AR patients. Furthermore, the serum periostin levels were higher in moderate-to-severe AR compared to mild AR cases (Z=-2.007, p=0.045). The level of serum periostin in AR patients showed a sequential increase corresponding to shortness of breath scores from 0 to 3 (Z=10.137, p=0.017). The predicted probability of serum periostin demonstrated moderate diagnostic accuracy in detecting AR (AUC=0.773, p<0.001).

Serum periostin shows potential as a candidate biomarker for detecting AR and can serve as a surrogate biomarker for assessing airway inflammation in AR patients.