title: Delayed nasal mucociliary clearance in patients with nonallergic rhinitis and nasal eosinophilia.
abstract: This study investigated nasal mucociliary clearance as related to nasal eosinophilia in nonallergic rhinitis patients using the technique of nasal saccharin challenge. Fifty-six consecutive patients with nonallergic rhinitis were evaluated with nasal cytology and saccharin challenge. A saccharin challenge time of greater than 25 minutes was considered abnormal. Twelve of 56 patients (21.4%) had nasal eosinophilia. Fifteen of 56 patients (26.8%) had prolonged nasal circulation times greater than 25 minutes, indicating delayed mucociliary clearance. Although 7 of 12 patients (58.3%) with nasal eosinophilia had delayed mucociliary clearance, only 8 of 44 patients (18.2%) without eosinophilia had circulation times longer than 25 minutes. The correlation of nasal eosinophilia with prolongation of the nasal circulation time is statistically significant (chi square 5.84, P = .0156). We postulate that damage to the nasal mucociliary system may be an etiologic factor for a subset of patients with nonallergic rhinitis and that this damage may be mediated by eosinophils.
authors.affiliation: Rhode Island Hospital Division of Allergy and Immunology, Providence 02903.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Settipane
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Ricci
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Settipane
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009079:Mucociliary Clearance; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012439:Saccharin
chemical_list: D012439:Saccharin