Correlation between subjective and objective assessment of nasal hyperreactivity

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Allergy and Immunology
• Rhinology

Background:

• Non-allergic nasal hyperreactivity is a condition affecting patients with perennial rhinitis.
• Objective assessment of nasal hyperreactivity can be challenging.
• Current diagnostic methods may not fully capture the patient's subjective experience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between subjective symptom scores and objective nasal response to histamine challenge.
• To evaluate the utility of rhinostereometry for assessing non-allergic nasal hyperreactivity.
• To determine if histamine challenge can objectively quantify nasal hyperreactivity.

Main Methods:

• Eighteen patients with perennial rhinitis and negative allergy tests were included.
• Nasal mucosa was challenged with histamine at 1, 2, and 4 mg/ml.
• Objective response was measured using rhinostereometry; subjective response was assessed via visual analogue scale for symptoms.

Main Results:

• A significant correlation was observed between symptom scores and nasal response at histamine concentrations of 2 mg/ml (R = 0.695, p < 0.01) and 4 mg/ml (R = 0.569, p < 0.05).
• No significant correlation was found at 1 mg/ml histamine concentration.
• Rhinostereometry demonstrated potential for objective measurement.

Conclusions:

• Histamine challenge, when assessed with rhinostereometry, shows a significant correlation with patient-reported symptoms in non-allergic nasal hyperreactivity.
• This objective model may aid in assessing the degree of non-allergic nasal hyperreactivity.
• Further research can validate this method for clinical application.