Altered cell mediated immunity in atrophic rhinitis.

Cellular immunity was studied in patients with atrophic rhinitis using the in vitro leucocyte migration and the spontaneous rosette tests. Cellular hypersensitivity to crude nasal homogenate was detected in 90 per cent of our cases as shown by inhibition of the leucocyte migration. The spontaneous rosette test showed a reduction in the number of T-cells forming rosettes which reflects a decrease in the absolute number of T-lymphocytes. This altered cellular reactivity or loss of tolerance to nasal tissues may be precipitated primarily by virus infection, malnutrition and/or immuno-deficiency which trigger a destructive auto-immune process with the release of antigen(s) of nasal mucosa into the circulation.