title: Prevalence of allergic rhinitis symptoms and positive skin-prick test results in patients with dry eye.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dry eye is characterized by decreased tear production and/or increased evaporation rates of the tear film barrier. Allergic rhinitis is an inflammatory disease that develops through immunoglobulin E in the rhino-ocular mucosa due to allergens. To investigate the prevalence of allergic rhinitis symptoms and positive skin-prick test results in patients with dry eye.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a case-control study. The study included 57 patients with dry eye and 48 healthy subjects. The prevalence of allergic symptoms and skin-prick test results were assessed and compared with the control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With regard to positive reactions to allergens in skin-prick tests, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergy (p = 0.0003), Dermatophagoides farinae allergy (p = 0.0003), grass-mix allergy (p = 0.049), Salicaces allergy (p = 0.006), and Compositae allergy (p = 0.019) were significantly observed to be higher in the group with dry eye. Nasal obstruction (p = 0.027), discharge (p = 0.0001), sneeze (p = 0.0003), itching (p = 0.0001), and postnasal drainage (p = 0.001) symptoms were observed to be significantly higher in the group with dry eye.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study revealed that there was a significant association between dry eye and allergic rhinitis with positive skin-prick test results. There may be a possible link between dry eye and allergy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Bezmialem Vakif University, Fatih, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Alper
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yenigun
authors.forename: Zeynep
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Dadaci
authors.forename: Gulay Ozel
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elbay
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides / Q000276:immunology; D052179:Antigens, Plant / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology*; D015995:Prevalence; D039981:Pyroglyphidae; D065631:Rhinitis, Allergic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012882:Skin Tests; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides; D052179:Antigens, Plant; D007073:Immunoglobulin E