Pathophysiological condition of the nose of asthmatic children with subclinical nasal allergy.
Nasal mucociliary transport time, nasal hypersensitivity to histamine, the number of basophils and eosinophils in the superficial mucous layer of the inferior turbinate, and the amount of histamine in the nasal secretion were measured in the asthmatic children with subclinical nasal allergy (asthma group). These results were compared with those in nasal allergic patients with nasal symptoms (nasal allergy group). Saccharin time did not show any significant difference between the asthma and nasal allergy group. The threshold for nasal hypersensitivity to histamine was significantly higher in the asthma group than in the nasal allergy group. Accumulation of basophils and eosinophils in the superficial mucous layer of the inferior turbinate were observed in both groups. There was a statistical correlation between the number of basophils and the number of eosinophils in the superficial nasal mucosa in the nasal allergy group, but not in the asthma group. These data suggest that basophilic cell function in the superficial mucous layer in the nose is of greater significance in the development of nasal symptoms in response to nasal allergy than either mucociliary activity or nasal mucosal hypersensitivity to histamine.
D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001491:Basophils; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004804:Eosinophils; D005260:Female; D006632:Histamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009299:Nasal Provocation Tests; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000503:physiopathology*
D006632:Histamine