The correlation between nasal symptom and mucociliary clearance in allergic rhinitis.

OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS: The Allergic Rhinitis and Its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) classification of allergic rhinitis (AR) is based on the severity and duration of nasal symptoms. Whether the nasal symptoms actually represent underlying nasal inflammation is unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between nasal symptoms and nasal inflammation using mucociliary clearance time (MCCT) in AR.

STUDY DESIGN

A prospective cross-sectional study.

METHODS

73 AR patients were classified according to ARIA class: mild or moderate-severe intermittent AR (MIAR or MSIAR) and mild or moderate-severe persistent AR (MPAR or MSPAR). Each nasal symptom was scored as 1 to 3 on a severity scale (mild-moderate-severe). The sum of the individual nasal symptom scores gave the total symptoms score (TSS). MCCT was determined with the charcoal-saccharin method. MCCTs between ARIA classes were compared and correlations between TSS or days with symptoms per week (DSW) and MCCT were analyzed.

RESULTS

Of the patients, 67.1% were moderate-severe degree. MSPAR had the worst MCCT, followed by MSIAR, MPAR, and MIAR (mean MCCTs of 14.32, 13.87, 11.94, and 10.28 minutes, respectively). TSS was well correlated with MCCT (P = .538, P < .001). DSW was also correlated with MCCT, but did not reach statistical significance (r = 0.217, P = .065). The mean MCCT of overall nasal symptoms increased along with each score step and a significant difference was noted between scores 2 and 3 (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

A high percentage of moderate-severe disease and a significant correlation of the severity and MCCTs suggest an important heterogeneity in this disease severity group. Discriminating between moderate and severe rhinitis should help to obtain homogeneous populations and develop improved disease management strategies.