title: The inferior turbinate mast cell population of patients with perennial allergic and nonallergic rhinitis.
abstract: The number of mast cells in the inferior turbinates of patients with perennial allergic rhinitis and perennial nonallergic rhinitis was compared with normal controls. Mast cell counts expressed as the mean number in 100 high-power fields, assessed after Carnoy's fixation and toluidine blue staining were 1.84 in normal controls (n = 11), 4.39 in patients with perennial allergic rhinitis (n = 13), and 4.00 in those with perennial nonallergic rhinitis (n = 26). Statistical analysis confirmed that the density of mast cells in allergic as well as in nonallergic patients was significantly higher than in normal controls, whereas no significant difference was found between the number of mast cells in allergic and nonallergic patients. It is concluded that the number of mast cells in the inferior turbinate mucosa of patients with perennial rhinitis is increased compared with normal controls, and the increased number is not necessarily allergy-dependent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Meir General Hospital, Kfar Saba, Israel.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goldberg
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ophir
mesh_terms: D019342:Acetic Acid; D000328:Adult; D002452:Cell Count; D002725:Chloroform; D004396:Coloring Agents; D004801:Eosine Yellowish-(YS); D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology; D000431:Ethanol; D005404:Fixatives; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006416:Hematoxylin; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000473:pathology; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000473:pathology; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000473:pathology; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000473:pathology*; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000473:pathology*; D014048:Tolonium Chloride; D014420:Turbinates / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: C033474:Carnoy's solution; D004396:Coloring Agents; D005404:Fixatives; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D014048:Tolonium Chloride; D000431:Ethanol; D002725:Chloroform; D019342:Acetic Acid; D004801:Eosine Yellowish-(YS); D006416:Hematoxylin