title: Analysis of the flow-volume curve in children and adolescents with allergic rhinitis without asthma.
abstract: There is epidemiological, functional and pathologic evidence that relates upper and lower airways, clinically known as a single respiratory tract. Patients with allergic rhinitis without asthma may present subclinical abnormal spirometry parameters.
  
  
  
  To describe the results of the flow-volume curve in a group of patients with allergic rhinitis without asthma and analyze the possible associations between anthropometric, clinical and biochemical outcome measures with abnormal spirometry results.
  
  
  
  Observational, descriptive study including children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 years old with symptoms of allergic rhinitis without asthma. Age, gender, body mass index and duration of rhinitis were determined as per the subject's medical record. Allergen skin tests, flow-volume curve spirometry, determination of eosinophil count in blood and in nasal secretions, and total serum IgE were performed.
  
  
  
  A total of 84 patients were studied; 21 (25%; 95% CI: 15.1-34.8) presented at least one altered spirometry outcome measure. The FEV1/FVC ratio was the most affected outcome measure (10/84; 12%; 95% CI: 4.3-19.4). The multiple logistic regression analysis determined that spirometry alterations were associated with the number of blood eosinophils (OR: 1.00229; 95% CI: 1.00022-1.00436; p= 0.03) and the body mass index (OR: 1.31282; 95% CI: 1.08611-1.58685; p= 0.0049).
  
  
  
  Our results showed spirometry alterations in a considerable percentage of children and adolescents with allergic rhinitis without asthma. The blood eosinophil count and the body mass index could be associated with a sub-clinical alteration of pulmonary function.
authors.affiliation: Allergy and Immunology Division, Clínica Universitaria Reina Fabiola, School of Medicine, Universidad Católica, Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ianiero
authors.forename: Ricardo J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Saranz
authors.forename: Natalia A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Lozano
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lozano
authors.forename: Laura V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Sasia
authors.forename: Maximiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramírez
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cuestas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D065631:Rhinitis, Allergic; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013147:Spirometry; D014797:Vital Capacity