title: Objective assessment of persistent rhinitis in Chinese and its relationship with serum indicators.
abstract: Persistent rhinitis (PR) is a chronic disease that affects millions of people. However, it lacks of a useful method, which can indicate the actual severity of the inflammation in PR patients. This study was designed to seek an examination which could reflect the actual severity of PR disease. The serum Phadiatop test, ECP level, four-phase rhinomanometry, and acoustic rhinometry were assessed in 91 adult patients with PR and 10 healthy controls. The serum total IgE was determined in some of the patients and all of the controls. The patients were divided into four groups: ARWO, ARWTO, NARWO and NARWTO. 40% (22/55) of AR and 33.3% (13/36) of NAR patients never complained of persistent nasal obstruction. Serum ECP levels were increased in the ARWO group. Serum total IgE was significantly elevated in the AR groups. MCA(1-Min) and MCA(1-T) were significantly reduced in the ARWO, ARWTO, and NARWO groups. NV(6-Min) and NV(6-T) were decreased in all PR groups, but only some of these differences were significant. In the ARWO group, MCA(2-Min) (r = -0.252), MCA(2-T) (r = -0.377), NV(6-Min) (r = -0.32), and NV(6-T) (r = -0.311) had significant relationships with serum ECP. We recommend acoustic rhinometry as a useful routine tool for the diagnosis of PR, even among patients without persistent subjective nasal obstruction. This technique might reveal the actual status of nasal congestion. An elevated serum ECP level might indicate severe AR and is negatively correlated with the results of acoustic rhinometry.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, #79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ke-Jia
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Shen-Qing
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Shui-Hong
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D047150:Eosinophil Cationic Protein / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007249:Inflammation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D025363:Rhinomanometry / Q000379:methods; D023842:Rhinometry, Acoustic / Q000379:methods; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D047150:Eosinophil Cationic Protein