title: Specificity and sensitivity assessment of selected nasal provocation testing techniques.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nasal provocation testing involves an allergen-specific local reaction of the nasal mucosa to the administered allergen.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the most objective nasal occlusion assessment technique that could be used in nasal provocation testing.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 60 subjects, including 30 patients diagnosed with allergy to common environmental allergens and 30 healthy subjects were enrolled into the study. The method used in the study was a nasal provocation test with an allergen, with a standard dose of a control solution and an allergen (5,000 SBU/ml) administered using a calibrated atomizer into both nostrils at room temperature. Early-phase nasal mucosa response in the early phase of the allergic reaction was assessed via acoustic rhinometry, optical rhinometry, nitric oxide in nasal air, and tryptase levels in the nasal lavage fluid.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In estimating the homogeneity of the average values, the Levene's test was used and receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted for all the methods used for assessing the nasal provocation test with an allergen. Statistically significant results were defined forp< 0.05. Of all the objective assessment techniques, the most sensitive and characteristic ones were the optical rhinometry techniques (specificity = 1, sensitivity = 1, AUC = 1, PPV = 1, NPV = 1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The techniques used showed significant differences between the group of patients with allergic rhinitis and the control group. Of all the objective assessment techniques, those most sensitive and characteristic were the optical rhinometry.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Environmental Hazard Prevention and Allergology, Faculty of Health Science, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Edyta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Krzych-Fałta
authors.affiliation: Unit of Environmental Hazard Prevention and Allergology, Faculty of Health Science, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; Chair of Applied Mathematics, Faculty of Applied Informatics and Mathematics, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Konrad
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Furmańczyk
authors.affiliation: Unit of Environmental Hazard Prevention and Allergology, Faculty of Health Science, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Bolesław
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Samoliński
keywords: nasal provocation test; receiver operating characteristic