title: Non-specific nasal reactivity: a proposed method of study.
abstract: To test a method for assessing non-specific nasal hyperreactivity, we submitted 23 allergic rhinitis sufferers, 12 normal subjects, 2 patients with asthma and 3 patients with asthma and rhinitis to bronchial challenge with ultrasonic fog (UNDW), recording nasal resistance (NR) and specific bronchial conductance (sGaw) simultaneously by means of a plethysmograph. A significant post-challenge NR increase was observed in 19 of the 23 rhinitis patients, in every patient with asthma and rhinitis, but in only 2 of the 12 normals and in none of the patients with asthma. There was no disturbing increase of nasal secretion. A significant post-challenge sGaw decrease was observed in all the asthmatics and in the patients with asthma and rhinitis, but only in 1 of the 12 normals and in 3 of the 23 rhinitis patients. We conclude that bronchial UNDW could be a suitable method for assessing both nasal and bronchial hyperreactivity.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000336:Aerosols; D000403:Airway Resistance; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis; D001985:Bronchial Provocation Tests / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology*; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols