title: Exhaled breath condensate, nasal eosinophil cationic protein level and nasal cytology during immunotherapy for cypress allergy.
abstract: Interest in cypress allergy is widely rising: an increasing number of studies have pointed out the efficacy of immunotherapy to reduce cypress-related symptoms and drug use. Cypress immunotherapy is well tolerated, but there are few studies dealing with its sub-clinical effects on the airways. The aim of this investigation is to assess the effects of immunotherapy on airways by the analysis of exhaled breath condensate (EBC), nasal lavage fluid (NAL) and nasal cytology. Fifteen mono-sensitized to cypress pollen patients have been observed, among them 9 have been treated with sub-cutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT), 3 with sub-lingual immunotherapy (SLIT) and 3 which were not treated underwent EBC, NAL and nasal cytology out of the pollen season. 8-isoprostane in EBC, Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and inflammatory cells in nasal cytology were also evaluated. The median value of 8-isoprostane in EBC was 18.58 pg/ml in patients who did not undergo immunotherapy, 49.38 pg/ml in SCIT patients and 13.41 pg/ml in SLIT subjects. The median value of ECP in nasal lavage was higher in non- treated subjects (27.3 mg/l) than in those treated with SCIT (1 mg/l)(p less than 0,05) or SLIT (2.6 mg/l). All nasal cytology specimens did not show any sign of inflammation. In conclusion SLIT seems to be well tolerated and to reduce significantly the levels of ECP in nasal lavage. In addition the levels of 8-isoprostane in EBC among SCIT patients were unexpectedly high and need to be further evaluated.
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine (DIM), University of Bari Medical School, Policlinico, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Ventura
authors.affiliation: Section of Occupational Medicine, Respiratory Diseases and Occupational and Environmental Toxicology, University of Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Murgia
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Catholic University Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Montuschi
authors.affiliation: University Department of Otolaryngology, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gelardi
authors.affiliation: Department of Drug Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Chieti G. d'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ciabattoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Bari, Medical School, Policlinico, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Buquicchio
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Diseases, University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Resta
authors.affiliation: Allergy and Respiratory Disease, DIMI, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Passalacqua
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001944:Breath Tests; D029781:Cupressus / Q000276:immunology*; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D015237:Dinoprost / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis; D047150:Eosinophil Cationic Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017817:Nasal Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: C075750:8-epi-prostaglandin F2alpha; D015237:Dinoprost; D047150:Eosinophil Cationic Protein