title: Does seasonal allergic rhinitis increase sensitivity to ammonia exposure?
abstract: Allergic inflammation in the upper airways represents a wide-spread health issue: Little is known about whether it increases sensitivity to airborne chemicals thereby challenging established exposure limits that neglect such differences in susceptibility. To investigate the role of pre-existing allergic inflammation, 19 subjects with seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) and 18 control subjects with low risk of sensitization were exposed for 4h to ammonia in two concentrations (cross-over design): 2.5ppm (odor threshold) and 0-40ppm (occupational exposure limit: 20ppm TWA). Prior to the whole-body exposure, it was confirmed that subjects with SAR showed persistent inflammation outside the pollen season as indicated by increased exhaled nitric oxide and total immunoglobulin E in serum compared to controls. Despite concentration-dependent increases in chemosensory perceptions and acute symptoms, SAR status did not modulate subjective effects of exposure. Moreover, SAR status did not affect the investigated physiological endpoints of sensory irritation: While eye-blink recordings confirmed weak ocular irritation properties of ammonia at 0-40ppm, this effect was not enhanced in SAR subjects compared to controls. Irrespective of SAR status, exposure to 0-40ppm ammonia did not result in a cortisol stress response, objective nasal obstruction as measured with anterior active rhinomanometry, or an inflammatory response as indexed by substance P, tumor-necrosis-factor α, and high-mobility-group protein 1 in nasal lavage fluid. At least for the malodorous compound ammonia, these results do not support the hypothesis that SAR enhances chemosensory effects in response to local irritants. Before generalizing this finding, more compounds as well as sensitization to perennial allergens need to be investigated.
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at the TU Dortmund University, Ardeystrasse 67, 44139 Dortmund, Germany. Electronic address: pacharra@ifado.de.
authors.forename: Marlene
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pacharra
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at the TU Dortmund University, Ardeystrasse 67, 44139 Dortmund, Germany. Electronic address: kleinbeck@ifado.de.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kleinbeck
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at the TU Dortmund University, Ardeystrasse 67, 44139 Dortmund, Germany. Electronic address: schaeper@ifado.de.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schäper
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at the TU Dortmund University, Ardeystrasse 67, 44139 Dortmund, Germany. Electronic address: blaszkewicz@ifado.de.
authors.forename: Meinolf
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blaszkewicz
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at the TU Dortmund University, Ardeystrasse 67, 44139 Dortmund, Germany. Electronic address: golka@ifado.de.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Golka
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at the TU Dortmund University, Ardeystrasse 67, 44139 Dortmund, Germany. Electronic address: thriel@ifado.de.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: van Thriel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D000641:Ammonia / Q000633:toxicity*; D001767:Blinking; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D024243:HMGB1 Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007509:Irritants / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D017817:Nasal Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D013373:Substance P / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D024243:HMGB1 Protein; C585491:HMGB1 protein, human; D007509:Irritants; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D013373:Substance P; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D000641:Ammonia
keywords: Allergy; Chemical sensitivity; Sensory irritant; Trigeminal chemoreception