A novel method of counting eosinophils in nasal secretion of allergic rhinitis by hemocytometric method

The test for eosinophilia in nasal secretion is a useful tool for the diagnosis of allergic rhinitis. However, the nasal smear test which is commonly used is a subjective and nonquantitative evaluation. In this paper we describe a novel simple, objective and quantitative method in which mucin cluster in collected nasal secretion or lavage is solubilized with dithioerythritol, following which the number of eosinophils per unit volume of nasal secretion or the ratio of eosinophil to total leukocyte can be successfully counted in a blood cell counting chamber by using a hemocytometric method.