Sensibilización cutánea a aero alérgenos en niños con rinitis y asma / Skin sensitization to aero-allergens in children with rhinitis and asthma

Introducción: Las enfermedades alérgicas son muy comunes en la población pediátrica. Entre las causas frecuentes se encuentran los aeroalérgenos del ambiente, y la identificación de estos es de gran ayuda tanto para el diagnóstico como para el tratamiento. Objetivos: Determinar la frecuencia de aeroalérgenos, por medio de la determinación de Inmunoglobulina E (IgE) específica a alérgenos comunes por la prueba de sensibilidad cutánea en pacientes pediátricos con síntomas de asma y rinitis alérgica. Materiales y Métodos: Diseño observacional, descriptivo, prospectivo, transversal, población de pacientes de 4 a 17 años con síntomas compatibles con asma y rinitis alérgica que acudieron a un centro asistencial pediátrico en el periodo de estudio. Se realizó por medio de las Pruebas de punción cutánea (PCP). Resultados: La edad media de los pacientes fue de 8 años, 57% pacientes de sexo masculino y 43% de sexo femenino. El 53% de los pacientes presenta rinitis y asma, 45% solo rinitis y el 2% solo asma. El 79% de los pacientes presentó reacción positiva de sensibilización alérgica por medio de la PCP. Teniendo en cuenta la sensibilización por tipo de aeroalérgenos se tuvo que el 64% de los pacientes tuvo reacción positiva a ácaros, 19% a animales 18% a cucarachas, 8% a pólenes y 6% a hongos. Conclusión: La gran mayoría de pacientes con asma padecía rinitis alérgica concomitante y los ácaros del polvo fueron los aeroalérgenos más frecuentemente determinados en las pruebas cutáneas de alergia en niños con asma y rinitis de nuestra población.

Introduction: Allergic diseases are very common in the pediatric population. Among the frequent causes are aeroallergens from the environment and the identification of these is a great help for diagnosis and treatment. Objectives: To determine the frequency of aeroallergens, through the determination of Immunoglobulin E (IgE) specific to common allergens by the skin sensitivity test in pediatric patients with symptoms of asthma and allergic rhinitis. Materials and Methods: Observational, descriptive, prospective, cross-sectional design, population of patients from 4 to 17 years old with symptoms compatible with asthma and allergic rhinitis who attended a pediatric care center during the study period. It was carried out by means of Skin Puncture Tests (PCP). Results: The mean age of the patients was 8 years, 57% male patients and 43% female. 53% of the patients presented Rhinitis and Asthma, 45% only Rhinitis and 2% only Asthma. 79% of the patients presented a positive allergic sensitization reaction through PCP. Taking into account the sensitization by type of aeroallergens, 64% of the patients had a positive reaction to mites, 19 % to animals 18% to cockroaches, 8% to pollens and 6% to fungi. Conclusion: The vast majority of patients with asthma suffered from concomitant allergic rhinitis and dust mites were the most frequently determined aeroallergens in allergic skin tests in children with asthma and rhinitis in our population.

Effect of obesity, lipids and adipokines on allergic rhinitis risk: a Mendelian randomization study

Abstract Objectives: Observational studies suggested that obesity may promote the development of allergic rhinitis. The aim of this study was to explore the association of obesity, lipids and adipokines with this allergic disease at the genetic level using Mendelian randomization strategies. Methods: Summary data for three obesity indicators (such as body mass index), eight lipid indicators (such as triglycerides) and six adipokines (such as interleukin-6 and adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein) were collected, and suitable instrumental variables were extracted from these summary data according to the three main assumptions of Mendelian randomization. Three Mendelian randomization methods (such as inverse variance weighted) were used to detect the casual effect of the above indicators on allergic rhinitis risk. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy. Results: After Bonferroni correction, the inverse variance weighted reported that elevated levels of interleukin-6 and adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein were nominally associated with the decreased risk of allergic rhinitis (OR = 0.870, 95% CI 0.765-0.990, p = 0.035; OR = 0.732, 95% CI 0.551-0.973, p = 0.032). The other Mendelian randomization methods supported these results. Obesity, lipids and other adipokines were not related to this allergic disease. Sensitivity analyses found no heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy in the study. Conclusion: The study provided some interesting, but not sufficient, evidence to suggest that interleukin-6 and adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein might play a protective role in the development of allergic rhinitis at the genetic level. These findings should be validated by more research. Level of evidence: This was a Mendelian randomized study with a level of evidence second only to clinical randomized trials, and higher than cohort and case-control studies.

Efeitos do isolamento social pela pandemia por COVID-19 na rinite infantil / Effects of social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic on childhood rhinitis

Introdução e objetivo: Devido à pandemia do novo coronavírus, as crianças passaram a ficar mais tempo em casa, e essa mudança implicou diretamente nas manifestações de diversas doenças, inclusive da rinite. A rinite é a inflamação da mucosa causada, principalmente, por alérgenos, ocasionando sintomas como rinorreia, espirros, obstrução nasal, hiperemia conjuntival, prurido nasal e ocular. O objetivo deste estudo é avaliar as consequências do isolamento social nas crianças com rinite, a fim de compreender a modificação da doença nesse período. Métodos: O estudo é observacional transversal, com dados obtidos através de um questionário eletrônico, para pais e/ou responsáveis de crianças entre 5 e 12 anos. Resultados: No total de 116 respostas, 51,7% das crianças eram do sexo masculino, e a mediana de idade foi de 8,5 anos. Em relação à rinite, em 81% dos casos foi relatado melhora ou manutenção do quadro durante o período de isolamento social. Em um quarto da amostra houve piora na qualidade de vida dos pacientes. Os sintomas com maior piora foram espirros e prurido nasal, e o sintoma com maior melhora foi a rinorreia. Os desencadeantes de sintomas mais frequentes foram animais domésticos, tapetes e perfumes. O uso de medicamentos foi relatado em 59,4% dos casos, sendo que em 32,7% não houve prescrição médica. Conclusão: Os resultados encontrados evidenciaram que o isolamento social teve um impacto positivo em relação às manifestações clínicas da rinite na população estudada.

Introduction and objective: The COVID-19 pandemic required children to spend more time at home, and this change had a direct impact on the manifestations of various diseases, including rhinitis. Rhinitis is inflammation of the nasal mucosa caused mainly by exposure to allergens, resulting in symptoms such as rhinorrhea, sneezing, nasal obstruction, conjunctival hyperemia, and itchy eyes and nose. This study aimed to evaluate the consequences of social distancing in children with rhinitis in order to understand the changes in the disease pattern during the pandemic. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional observational study with data obtained through an electronic questionnaire answered by parents and/or guardians of children aged 5 to 12 years. Results: From a total of 116 responses, 51.7% of children were male with a median age of 8.5 years. In 81% of cases, rhinitis symptoms improved or remained unchanged during the period of social distancing. In a quarter of the sample, there was a worsening of patients' quality of life. The symptoms with the greatest worsening were sneezing and nasal itching, and the symptom with the greatest improvement was rhinorrhea. The most frequent symptom triggers were pets, carpets, and perfumes. Medication use was reported in 59.4% of cases, with the use of over-the-counter medications in 32.7% of them. Conclusion: The results showed that social distancing had a positive impact on the clinical manifestations of rhinitis in the study population.

Rinite alérgica em estudantes de Medicina: percepção sobre diagnóstico, controle dos sintomas e qualidade de vida / Allergic rhinitis among medical students: perceptions about diagnosis, symptom control, and quality of life

Introdução: A rinite alérgica (RA) é uma doença com sintomas nasais, como rinorreia, espirros e congestão nasal, causada pela inflamação da mucosa após a exposição do indivíduo a um agente alérgeno. A sintomatologia da doença causa consequências na qualidade de vida do paciente, que frequentemente possui problemas de sono, irritabilidade e fadiga. Estudantes podem ter seu desempenho acadêmico afetado de modo negativo pela doença. Objetivo: Tendo em vista a problemática que a doença causa na performance de estudantes, esse estudo pretende analisar a prevalência da RA nos discentes da Universidade do Vale do Itajaí (UNIVALI), com a finalidade de identificar o grau de comprometimento na qualidade de vida dos estudantes com a doença e relacionar com o seu grau de controle dos sintomas da rinite alérgica. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo descritivo observacional, a partir de dados coletados de estudantes de Medicina, através de questionários específicos para avaliação do controle dos sintomas e impacto na qualidade de vida, sendo eles: o Rhinitis Control Assessment Test e o Sino-Nasal Outcome Test. Resultados: 88 estudantes de Medicina foram avaliados neste estudo, a prevalência da RA foi de 69%. A maioria dos estudantes possui a doença controlada, o que caracteriza menor impacto da doença na qualidade de vida desses pacientes. Entre eles, os sintomas de maior impacto são: espirros, obstrução nasal e lacrimejamento ocular. Houve correlação estatística entre o controle dos sintomas e o impacto dos mesmos na qualidade de vida, avaliado pelos questionários RCAT e SNOT-22 (r = -0,4277; p < 0,001). Conclusão: O conhecimento disseminado entre estudantes de Medicina sobre rinite alérgica, diferentemente do resto da população, permite que os mesmos tenham maior conscientização, aderência aos tratamentos e percepção do quadro. Por isso, a educação da população se faz essencial e útil para controle dos sintomas e garantia da qualidade de vida coletiva.

Introduction: Allergic rhinitis is a disease involving nasal symptoms, such as rhinorrhea, sneezing and nasal congestion, which are caused by mucosal inflammation due to allergen exposure. The symptoms, which affect patient quality of life, frequently include sleep problems, irritability, and fatigue. The disease can have a negative impact on academic performance in affected students. Objective: In view of the disease's effects on academic performance, this study determined the prevalence of allergic rhinitis among medical students at the Universidade do Vale do Itajaí (Santa Catarina, Brazil), identifying the degree to which it impairs quality of life and relating this to symptom control. Methods: This descriptive observational study was based on data collected from medical students through 2 specific questionnaires to assess symptom control and quality of life: the Rhinitis Control Assessment Test (RCAT) and Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT- 22). Results: Among the 88 medical students evaluated in this study, the prevalence of allergic rhinitis was 69%. The disease controlled in most affected students, indicating a lower impact on quality of life. The most prominent symptoms were sneezing, nasal obstruction, and tearing. According to the RCAT and SNOT-22 results, symptom control was significantly correlated with quality of life (r = -0.4277; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Unlike the rest of the population, the students' knowledge of allergic rhinitis led to greater awareness of the condition and better treatment adherence. Therefore, educating the population is essential for symptom control and guaranteeing collective quality of life.

Rinitis alérgica en pediatría: recomendaciones para su diagnóstico y tratamiento / Allergic rhinitis in pediatrics: recommendations for diagnosis and treatment

La rinitis alérgica (RA) es una de las enfermedades crónicas más frecuentes de la infancia. Sin embargo, permanece subdiagnosticada y subtratada. Su prevalencia ha aumentado en los últimos años y varía del 2 % al 25 %. Los síntomas de la RA incluyen estornudos, prurito, rinorrea y congestión nasal. Un correcto diagnóstico y tratamiento de la RA y sus comorbilidades, tales como rinosinusitis con o sin poliposis nasal, conjuntivitis, otitis media, asma bronquial e infecciones del tracto respiratorio, son importantes para reducir el impacto negativo en la afectación de la calidad de vida del paciente y sus familiares, y los gastos sanitarios que ocasiona. La inmunoterapia alérgeno específica, en pacientes correctamente seleccionados, previene nuevas sensibilizaciones y reduce la hiperreactividad bronquial asociada a la RA. Considerando todos estos factores, el Comité Nacional de Alergia de la Sociedad Argentina de Pediatría propone recomendaciones basadas en la evidencia actual.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is one of the most common chronic diseases in children. However, it remains underdiagnosed and undertreated. Its prevalence has increased in recent years and varies from 2 to 25 %. Symptoms include sneezing, itching, runny nose, and nasal congestion. A correct diagnosis and treatment of AR and its comorbidities such as rhinosinusitis with or without nasal polyposis, conjunctivitis, otitis media, bronchial asthma and respiratory tract infections, are important to reduce the negative impact on the quality of life of the patient and their relatives, and in medical costs. Specific allergen immunotherapy, in correctly selected patients, prevents new sensitizations and reduces bronchial hyperreactivity associated with AR. Taking into account all these reasons, the National Allergy Committee of the Sociedad Argentina de Pediatría proposes current evidence based recommendations

Eficacia y seguridad de la combinación de dosis fija montelukast-desloratadina 10 mg/5 mg cápsula en adultos mexicanos con rinitis alérgica persistente: Estudio controlado, aleatorizado, doble ciego y multicéntrico / Efficacy and safety of fixed-dose combination of montelukast-desloratadine 10 mg/5 mg capsule in Mexican adults with persistent allergic rhinitis: A double blind, randomized, controlled and multicenter study

Objetivo: El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar la eficacia y seguridad de la combinación de dosis fija montelukast/desloratadina 10mg/5mg cápsula versus la combinación de montelukast/loratadina 10 mg/10 mg tableta en adultos con diagnóstico de rinitis alérgica persistente. Material y métodos: El presente fue un estudio clínico aleatorizado, controlado, doble ciego, prospectivo, longitudinal, multicéntrico, con brazos paralelos. Sujetos con diag nóstico de rinitis alérgica persistente que cumplieran criterios de elegibilidad y firmaran consentimiento informado fueron enrolados para recibir uno de los dos tratamientos cada 24 horas vía oral durante 6 semanas. La eficacia se estableció mediante la evaluación clínica a través de escalas clínicas validadas en idioma español, siendo la variable primaria de eficacia la diferencia de puntuación del cuestionario SNOT-20 al final del tratamiento, mientras que la frecuencia y características de los eventos adversos fue considerada la variable de seguridad. Resultados: Se aleatorizaron 86 pacientes, 74 de ellos fueron analizados por protocolo. Los cuestionarios sobre síntomas de la enfermedad e indicadores de calidad de vida con ambos tratamientos mostraron que más del 90% de los pacientes no presentaron síntomas o solo fueron leves al final del estudio, por lo que ambos tratamientos me joraron significativamente (p < 0.05) la sintomatología de la enfermedad. Los eventos adversos presentados fueron leves a moderados. Conclusiones: El presente estudio demostró que la eficacia de montelukast/deslora tadina 10mg/5mg no es inferior al medicamento comparador. Por tanto, el tratamiento de prueba representa una alternativa eficaz y segura para el tratamiento de segunda línea de la rinitis alérgica persistente en pacientes que las monoterapias o primeras líneas de tratamiento no ofrecen mejoría clínicamente relevante.

Objective: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the fixed dose combination of montelukast/desloratadine 10 mg/5 mg capsule versus the combination of montelukast/loratadine 10 mg/10 mg tablet in adults diagnosed with persistent allergic rhinitis. Materials and methods: The present study was a multicenter, controlled, prospective, longitudinal, randomized, double-blind clinical trial with parallel arms. Patients diagnosed with persistent allergic rhinitis who met eligibility criteria and signed informed consent were enrolled in the study to receive one of the two treatments every 24 hours orally for 6 weeks. Efficacy was established by clinical evaluation through clinical scales vali dated in Spanish, being the primary efficacy variable the difference in the score of the SNOT-20 (Sino-Nasal Outcome Test) questionnaire at the end of treatment; and the frequency and characteristics of adverse events were considered the safety variable. Results: 86 patients were randomized, 74 of which were analyzed per protocol. Ques tionnaires about the symptoms of the disease and quality of life indicators with both treatments showed that more than 90% of patients had mild symptoms or no symptoms at all at the end of the study. So, both treatments significantly improved (p < 0.05) the symptoms of the disease. Adverse events were mild to moderate. Conclusions: The present study showed that the efficacy of montelukast/desloratadine 10 mg/5 mg is not inferior to the comparator. Therefore, the study treatment represents an effective and safe alternative for the second-line treatment of persistent allergic rhinitis in patients in whom monotherapies or first-line treatments don't offer clinically relevant improvement.

Cirugía de cornetes inferiores en población pediátrica: ¿Cómo, cuándo y por qué?

La hipertrofia de cornetes inferiores representa una de las principales causas de obstrucción nasal en pacientes pediátricos. En estudios recientes se ha observado un aumento significativo de esta patología en niños que no responden a terapia médica. La evidencia disponible recomienda la cirugía como tratamiento de elección en la obstrucción nasal refractaria en niños con cornetes hipertróficos. Sin embargo, hasta la fecha no existen criterios formales de derivación a cirugía en la población pediátrica y los estudios en infantes son limitados. Al mismo tiempo, la falta de consenso no ha permitido recomendar una técnica quirúrgica en estos pacientes por sobre otras. Por lo tanto, se hace necesario profundizar las diferentes alternativas disponibles, considerando y optando por aquellas que presenten mayores beneficios y menor riesgo de complicaciones. En la presente revisión se estudió la evidencia disponible hasta el momento sobre este tema en la población pediátrica y además se realizó un análisis de la efectividad y complicaciones de las diferentes técnicas disponibles.

Inferior turbinate hypertrophy represents one of the leading causes of nasal obstruction in pediatric patients. Recent studies have observed a significant increase in turbinate hypertrophy in children that does not respond to medical treatment. The latest evidence recommends inferior turbinoplasty for treating nasal obstruction in children with hypertrophic turbinates. However, until today there are no formal criteria for referral to surgery in the pediatric population, and studies in children are limited. At the same time, the absence of consensus has not allowed the recommendation of one surgical technique over others in these patients. This is why it is necessary to deepen the available alternatives and choose those with more significant benefits and a lower risk of complications. In this review, we study available evidence about this topic in the pediatric population and analyze the effectiveness and complications of different known techniques.

Analysis of the efficacy of Dupilumab on asthma and its type 2 inflammatory comorbidities in children / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of Dupilumab on the treatment of asthma combined with atopic dermatitis (AD) and other type 2 inflammatory co-morbidities in children.Methods:Clinical data of children with asthma combined with AD, allergic rhinitis (AR) type 2 inflammatory co-morbidities who received Dupilumab treatment for 16 weeks or longer in the Pediatric Asthma and Allergy Clinic of the Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University from April 1, 2021 to September 1, 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.The efficacy and safety of Dupilumab on the treatment of asthma combined with AD and AR in children were assessed by comparing clinical symptoms before and after 16 weeks of treatment, changes in the dosage of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), lung function, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), and peripheral blood eosinophil (EOS) count, and the incidence of adverse events, respectively.The correlation between the efficacy on AD, AR and asthma was assessed.Quantitative indicators that were normally distributed were compared by the paired samples t-test; otherwise, they were compared by rank- sum test.The correlation between different indicators was compared by Spearman rank correlation test. Results:(1) Ten children with asthma combined with AD, AR were recruited, including 8 males and 2 females, with the mean age of 9 (4-14) years.Three children were previously treated with subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) prior to Dupilumab treatment, and 1 child was transferred to Dupilumab treatment because of a poor responsiveness to Omalizumab.(2) Improvement of asthma: after 16 weeks of treatment, asthma symptoms were well controlled in the 10 children, and none of them had acute asthma attacks.The childhood asthma control test for children and asthma control questionnaire findings were significantly improved from baseline (all P<0.05). Forced expiratory volume in the first second to the predicted value was significantly improved from baseline ( P<0.05). The dosage of ICS [all converted to Beclomethasone Dipropionate, 0 (0, 125.00) μg/d vs.400.00 (200.00, 400.00) μg/d] and FeNO level [11.00(9.00, 19.25)×10 -9vs.38.00(18.25, 56.75)×10 -9] significantly decreased from baseline (all P<0.05). Serum T-IgE testing before and after treatment were performed in 3 children, which were significantly reduced at 16 weeks of treatment compared with baseline (case 1: 2 759 kU/L vs.>5 000 kU/L; case 2: 1 432 kU/L vs.3 546 kU/L; case 3: 655 kU/L vs.1 000 kU/L, all P<0.05). (3) Improvement of asthma co-morbidities: The scoring atopic dermatitis scores, and patient-oriented eczema measure scores at each time point of follow-up decreased significantly compared with baseline (all P<0.001). The overall peripheral blood EOS count increased during the treatment period compared with baseline[1.18(0.62, 1.51)×10 9/L vs.1.01(0.54, 1.90)×10 9/L, P=0.444], although no significant difference was detected.Visual analog scale and total rhinitis medication scores decreased significantly compared with baseline (all P<0.05). (4) There was a positive correlation between baseline AD severity and the therapeutic efficacy on asthma ( r=0.697, P=0.025). (5) Safety: during the treatment, one case developed bilateral conjunctivitis and one developed bilateral bulbar conjunctival hemosiderosis, both of whom were improved after symptomatic treatment. Conclusions:Dupilumab treatment significantly improves clinical symptoms of asthma, AD and AR in children with asthma combined with AD, AR type 2 inflammatory co-morbidities, which also reduces ICS dosage, FeNO level, rhinitis medication and serum T-IgE level, and improve pulmonary function, with a good safety profile.It is a promising treatment to children with type 2 inflammatory disease who have a poor Omalizumab efficacy, and its combination with SCIT is a favorable etiologic treatment.

Effects of modified posterior nasal nerve neurectomy combined with accessory posterior nasal nerve neurectomy on controlling intractable allergic rhinitis / 中南大学学报(医学版)

Objective: A subset of intractable allergic rhinitis (iAR) patients experience severe symptoms which cannot be effectively controlled by standard drug therapy and/or antigen specific immunotherapy. In recent decades, endoscopy vidian neurectomy and posterior nasal nerve neurectomy (PNNN) were introduced as treatments of iAR that have shown to be highly successful at symptom management in a number of patients. But some patients experience relapse or suboptimal symptom control postoperation. To improve the effectiveness of PNNN to control iAR, a modified PNNN surgical approach (mPNNN) combined with accessory posterior nasal nerve neurectomy (aPNNN), which called as mPNNN-aPNNN was used. This study aims to compare the effects between mPNNN-aPNNN and PNNN on controlling the symptoms of iAR and evaluate the surgical effectiveness and safety of mPNNN-aPNNN. Methods: The patients with iAR experienced mPNNN-aPNNN or PNNN surgery at the department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery of the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University from January 2018 to December 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. The approach of PNNN, a selective resection of the posterior nasal nerve branches, was modified to the neurectomy of total branches of posterior nasal nerve at the sphenopalatine foramen, and combined the operation of aPNNN in which the accessory posterior nasal nerve at the palatine bone perpendicular plate was resect in our study. Daily Nasal Symptom Scores (DNSS), Total Rhinitis Medication Score (TRMS), and the Rhinoconjunctivitis Qualities of Life Questionnaires Scores (RQLQS) were used to evaluate the complications during the operation and after the operation at the 3rd, 6th, 12th, and 24th month postoperatively. Total Nasal Symptom Scores (TNSS) was used to assess the total effective rate and markedly effective rate of the operations. Results: A total of 140 iAR patients experienced mPNNN-aPNNN or PNNN. Those with concomitant septoplasty and/or inferior turbinate reduction, and were absent during the postoperative follow-up were excluded. The final 62 patients with mPNNN-aPNNN and 34 with PNNN were enrolled. DNSS, TNSS, TRMS, and RQLQS at the postoperation were significantly improved compared with the preoperation in all patients (all P<0.001). Compared with PNNN, the postoperative DNSS, TNSS, and TRMS of mPNNN-aPNNN were obviously improved (all P<0.001). There was a persisted relief of symptoms at the postoperation in all patients with mPNNN-aPNNN. The total effective rate and markedly effective rate at the postoperative 24th month were 100％ and 83.3％, respectively. Furthermore, the postoperative RQLQS decreased significantly (P<0.001). Only 5 sides of all patients (5/192, 2.6％) reported upper palate numbness during the first week after operation, with all recovered spontaneously in 1 month without treatment. No other postoperative complications occurred in mPNNN-aPNNN and PNNN.Conclusion: The surgery of mPNNN-aPNNN improve TNSS more significantly than PNNN. The operation of mPNNN-aPNNN is safe and effective to control iAR symptoms.

A Non-inferiority Randomized Controlled Trial of Topical Bisaitong （鼻塞通） in Treatment of Moderate to Severe Allergic Rhinitis / 中医杂志

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical Bisaitong （鼻塞通） in treating moderate-to-severe allergic rhinitis （AR）. MethodsA randomized， positive-controlled， non-inferiority clinical trial design was adopted. Totally， 108 cases of moderate-to-severe AR were randomly divided into Bisaitong group and mometasone furoate group，with 54 cases in each group. The Bisaitong group was treated with Bisaitong smeared at the nasal cavity twice a day， and the mometasone furoate group received inhalation of mometasone furoate nasal spray 100 μg in each nostril， once a day. Both groups were treated for 4 weeks and followed up after additional 4 weeks. Both groups were compared on the rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire （RQLQ）， rhinoconjunctivitis total symptom score （RTSS）， visual analogue score （VAS） of sneezing， runny nose， nasal itching， nasal congestion degree， days of AR episodes at enrollment， after 2- and 4-week， and at follow-up. The peripheral blood eosinophil （EOS） count and percentage （EOS%）， serum eosinophil cationic protein （ECP）， serum dust mite， dermatophagoides farinae， and cockroach allergen-specific IgE （sIgE） levels were compared between groups at enrollment and after 4-week treatment. Drug overuse rate was calculated， and the safety was evaluated. The analysis of all efficacy outcomes was based on both full analysis set （FAS） and per-protocol set （PPS）. ResultsThe lower limit of the 95% confidence interval for the differences in RQLQ scores were greater than -0.6 measured after 2- and 4-week treatment and at follow-up compared to that measured at the enrollment in both groups， indicating of the Bisaitong group being non-inferior to the mometasone furoate group. There was no statistically significant difference between groups on RTSS score， VAS scores of sneezing， runny nose， nasal itching， nasal congestion degree and days of episodes at all timepoints （P＞0.05）， but each outcome changed significantly over time in both groups （P＜0.01）. The differences between groups in EOS count， EOS%， ECP levels， serum dust mite， dermatophagoides farinae， cockroach sIgE levels， and drug overuse rate were not statistically significant at enrollment and after 4-week treatment （P＞0.05）. Adverse events occurred in eight cases （15.10%） in the Bisaitong group and five cases （9.30%） in the mometasone furoate group， showing no significant difference between groups （P＞0.05）. ConclusionTopical Bisaitong is non-inferior to mometasone furoate nasal spray in the treatment of moderate to severe AR in terms of clinical symptom relief，reduction in the episodes， improvement of quality of life， and sound safety.

Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis with Traditional Chinese Medicine： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

This article reviews the clinical studies about the treatment of allergic rhinitis （AR） with traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） in recent years. AR is a common and frequently occurring disease in the department of otolaryngology. The common manifestations of AR include nasal congestion， sneezing， runny nose， and nasal itching. AR， belonging to the category of rhinitis， is a dominant disease in the TCM treatment of otorhinolaryngologic diseases and head and neck diseases. The ancient literature has laid a solid theoretical basis on the etiology and pathogenesis of AR. According to the ancient literature， the theoretical basis， and their own experience， modern doctors classified the causes of AR into the disorders in Zang-fu organs and six meridians. Most of the explanations focus on the disorders in Zang-fu organs， especially the lung， spleen， and kidney. The clinical studies in this field mainly involve TCM treatment alone， integrated TCM and Western medicine treatment， and TCM external treatment. These therapies have good efficacy in the clinical treatment of AR. Among them， TCM treatment alone has significant advantages in alleviating the symptoms and nasal signs， declining the scores of related scales， and reducing the eosinophil count （EOS） of nasal secretions， with definite long-term efficacy. Integrated TCM and Western medicine treatment can complement with each other. The TCM external treatment methods include acupuncture， moxibustion， acupoint catgut embedding， acupoint application， and nasal irrigation with TCM， which are safe， simple， acceptable by patients and have good therapeutic effect. Finally， the clinical research status of TCM treatment of AR was summarized， and suggestions were put forward from three aspects： standardizing the clinical research protocol of TCM， encouraging pure TCM research， and exploring the mechanism of TCM treatment on the basis of frontier research achievements. This review aims to provide higher-level evidence for subsequent clinical research and promote the research on dominant AR diseases.

A multi-center observation of the therapeutic efficacy of Bencycloquidium bromide in the treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis with predominant symptoms of rhinorrhea / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective:To observe the efficacy and safety of the M receptor antagonist Bencycloquidium bromide nasal spray in treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis with runny nose as the main symptom. Methods:From August 2021 to September 2021, 134 patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis were enrolled in the otolaryngology Outpatient Department of Peking University Third Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University and China-Japanese Friendship Hospital of Jilin University, including 71 males and 63 females, with a median age of 38 years. TNSS score and visual analogue scale（VAS） of total nasal symptoms were observed during 2 weeks of treatment with Bencycloquidium bromide nasal spray. Results:TNSS score decreased from （8.89±3.31） on day 0 to （3.71±2.51） on day 14（P<0.001）, VAS score of nasal symptoms decreased from （24.86±7.40） on day 0 to （6.84±5.94） on day 14（P<0.001）, VAS score of rhinorrhoea decreased from （6.88±2.06） on day 0 to （1.91±1.81） on day 14（P<0.001）. Rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire（RQLQ） score decreased from （94.63±33.35） on day 0 to （44.95±32.28） on day 14（P<0.001）. The incidence of adverse reaction was low and no serious adverse events occurred during the whole experiment. Conclusion:Bencycloquidium bromide nasal spray has significant efficacy and good safety in the treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis.

Analysis of related factors for postoperative recurrence of antrochoanal polyps in children / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective:To analyze the correlation between nasal resistance and lung function in children with allergic rhinitis（AR）, and explore whether AR children with increased nasal resistance are accompanied by potential lower respiratory tract involvement. Methods:A total of 88 children diagnosed with AR from December 2021 to December 2022 were selected as the study group, while 20 normal children were selected as the control group during the same period. Both the study group and the control group children underwent lung function tests, bronchodilator tests, and nasal resistance measurements. Spearman correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were performed on the results of nasal resistance and lung function tests to explore the relationship and influencing factors between the two groups.According to the results of nasal resistance measurement, children with increased nasal resistance and abnormal lung function were divided into a mild increase in nasal resistance with abnormal lung function group and a moderate to severe increase in nasal resistance with abnormal lung function group. The degree of increased nasal resistance was analyzed to determine whether it would affect lung function. Results:The FEF25, FEF50, and FEF75 levels in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group（P<0.05）. The FEV1of children with moderate to severe increase in AR nasal resistance was significantly lower than that of children with mild increase in AR nasal resistance（P<0.05）. There was a correlation between nasal resistance and FEV1/FVC, R20 in AR children, and FEV1/FVC, R20 were the influencing factors of nasal resistance in AR children（P<0.05）. There was no correlation between total serum IgE, lung function, and bronchodilation test in AR patients（P>0.05）. Conclusion:The nasal ventilation function of AR patients has changed, and there is a downward trend in small airway function. Children with moderate to severe increase in AR nasal resistance have a more significant decrease in lung ventilation function than those with mild increase. The nasal resistance of AR children is influenced by FEV1/FVC and R20, and FEV1/FVC and R20 decrease as the nasal resistance value increases. The improvement rate of lung function and FEV1 are not influencing factors for the elevation of total serum IgE.

Risk factors for the development of airway hyperresponsiveness in patients with allergic rhinitis / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Allergic rhinitis（AR） is an independent risk factor for allergic asthma. Some AR patients may have developed airway hyperresponsiveness（AHR） in the absence of asthma symptoms. In this stage, AHR is often neglected due to the absence of typical asthma symptoms. Exploring the clinically relevant risk factors for AHR in patients with AR, as well as the clinical indicators and biomarkers to predict AHR in patients with AR, is of great significance to the prevention of the occurrence of AHR and asthma. This review summarized the risk factors for the development of AHR in AR patients, and gave hints to the prevention of AHR in AR patients.

A study of airborne pollen monitoring and its connection with allergic rhinitis visits in Taiyuan over the summer and autumn seasons / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective:To explore the distribution of airborne pollen in summer and autumn in Taiyuan, analyze the correlation between pollen characteristics, meteorological factors and allergic sensitization, and provide for the prevention and treatment of allergic diseases in this. Methods:The gravity sedimentation method was used to investigate the types, quantities and dispersion patterns of airborne pollen in Taiyuan City from July 21, 2022 to October 20, 2022. he meteorological and patient information was collected during the same period SPSS 26.0 software. Results:①A total of 17 118 pollen grains were collected, and identified as 14 families, 10 genera, and 4 species. The peak period for pollen dispersal in summer and autumn in Taiyuan City from late August to early September. airborne pollen Artemisia（66.62%）, Cannabis/Humulus（17.79%）, Sophora japonica（8.18%）, Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae（2.83%）, Gramineae（2.11%）. ②The concentration of airborne pollen in Taiyuan City positively correlated with the average temperature（5-20℃） and maximum temperature（11-30℃） within a certain range（r=0.547, 0.315, P<0.05）. ③The content of airborne pollen in Taiyuan City positively correlated with the number of visits and allergen positive rate of patients with allergic rhinitis（AR） in our hospital（r=0.702, 0.747, P<0.05）. Conclusion:The peak period for airborne pollen dispersal during the summer and autumn seasons in Taiyuan City from late August to early September. The dominant pollen is Artemisia, Cannabis/Humulus, Sophora japonica, Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae, Gramineae, and the absolute advantage pollen is Artemisia. Meteorological factors pollen content. Within a certain range, temperature the diffusion and transportation of pollen. The number of pollen grains the number of visits, which can serve as an environmental warning indicator for AR patients to take preventive, thereby reducing the risk of allergies.

Analysis of adherence and determinants of sublingual immunotherapy in patients with Artemisia pollen-induced allergic rhinitis / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective:To monitor adherence to specific sublingual immunotherapy （SLIT） in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis（AR）, analyse factors influencing adherence, and provide research support to effectively improve adherence. Methods:Patients with AR who underwent Artemisia pollen SLIT at the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from May 2021 to April 2022 were retrospectively followed up by telephone to investigate the current status of treatment, count the causes of shedding, and extract relevant information from their medical record data for analysis. Results:Of the 112 patients surveyed, 34 discontinued treatment（30.3%）; patients who experienced adverse reactions and SLIT patients who had been on treatment for more than 6 months showed relatively good adherence（P<0.05）. The main reasons for discontinuation in patients who dropped out were: asymptomatic discomfort during the non-pollen phase and therefore discontinuation of treatment or feeling that treatment was ineffective 9 cases（26.5%）, forced discontinuation due to vaccination or pregnancy, or epidemics 6 cases（17.6%）. Conclusion:Long-term adherence of patients to Artemisia pollen SLIT still needs to be brought to the attention of healthcare professionals, especially in the early stages of treatment when good patient education and good channels of trust and communication between doctors and patients need to be established.

Characteristics of allergen component in dust mite-induced allergic rhinitis patients / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the characteristics of allergen component in dust mite（DM） -induced allergic rhinitis（AR） patients, and provide reference for the diagnosis and treatment of AR. Methods:DM-induced AR patients with or without allergic asthma（AA） who visited the Allergy Department of Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology between 2021 and 2022 were enrolled. Patients'age, gender, and visual analog scale（VAS） for symptoms were recorded. sIgE and sIgG4 levels of allergen components such as Der f1, Der f2, Der p1, Der p2, Der p7, Der p10, Der p21, and Der p23 were detected using a protein chip method. The sensitization characteristics of the allergen components in the patients were observed, and the correlation between sIgE, sIgG of each component and VAS as well as the component differences between AR and AR with AA（AR&AA） were evaluated. Results:A total of 87 DM-induced AR patients were enrolled, with 42.5% of them were AR&AA, their VAS scores were significantly higher than those of AR patients（6.38±1.95 vs 5.25±1.85, P=0.009 8）. The order of sensitization rates for DM components was as follows: Der p2（82.8%）, Der f2（81.6%）, Der p1（74.7%）, Der f1（70.1%）, and Der p23（35.6%）. The order of positive rates for sIgG4 was: Der p2（21.8%）, Der f2（13.8%）, Der p21（8.0%）, and Der p7（6.9%）. There were no correlation between the sIgE, sIgG4 levels or positive numbers of components and VAS scores, but there were positive correlations between sIgE, sIgG4 concentrations of components. Compared with AR patients, AR&AA patients had higher levels of sIgE for Der p（60.5[7.2-91.1]vs 14.0[4.8-45.1], P=0.02）, Der f（49.8[15.7-81.6]vs 21.3[7.0-50.2], P=0.04）, Der p1（27.2[0.7-51.5]vs 2.6[0.2-24.9], P=0.02）, Der p2（20.0[1.4-60.6]vs 5.5[0.6-19.1], P=0.004）, and Der f2（58.9[16.0-89.2]vs 23.4[0.9-56.8], P=0.009）, and a higher proportion of AR with AA patients had sIgE levels of Der p1（70.3% vs 48.0%, P=0.038） and Der p23（27.0% vs 14.0%, P=0.039） that were ≥3 grades. Conclusion:Der p1/f1, Der p2/f3, and Der p23 are the major components of DM sensitized AR patients. Multiple component sensitization and sIgE, sIgG4 levels of each component are not correlated with the severity of AR. The sIgE levels of the Der p1/f1, Der p2/f3, and Der p23 components in AR&AA patients are higher than AR.

Association between airborne particulate matter（PM 2.5） concentration and the incidence of allergic rhinitis in Shanghai / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective:To explore the impact of PM 2.5 concentration in Shanghai on the incidence of allergic rhinitis（AR） in the population, and provide strategies for early warning and prevention of AR. Methods:Collect daily average concentrations of atmospheric pollutants monitored in Shanghai from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019, and clinical data of AR patients from five hospitals in Shanghai during the same period. We used a time-series analysis additive Poisson regression model to analyze the correlation between PM 2.5 levels and outpatient attendance for AR patients. Results:During the study period, a total of 56 500 AR patients were included, and the daily average concentration of PM 2.5 was（35.28±23.07）μg/m³. There is a correlation between the concentration of PM 2.5 and the number of outpatient attendance for AR cases. There is a positive correlation between the daily average number of outpatient for AR and levels of PM 2.5 air pollution（（P<0.05）） . We found that every 10 μg/m³ increase in PM 2.5, the impact of on the number of AR visits was statistically significant on the same day, the first day behind, and the second day behind, with the strongest impact being the exposure on the same day. Every 10 μg/m³ increases in PM 2.5, the number of outpatient visits increased by 0.526% on the same day（95%CI 1.000 50-1.010 04）. Conclusion:The atmospheric PM 2.5 concentration in Shanghai is positively correlated with the number of outpatient for AR, and PM 2.5 exposure is an independent factor in the onset of AR. This provides an important theoretical basis for AR.

Value of allergen nasal provocation test in assessment of the efficacy of house dust mites specific immunotherapy / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the value of nasal provocation test（NPT） in evaluating the efficacy of allergen immunotherapy（AIT） in patients with dust mite induced allergic rhinitis（AR）. Methods:A total of 83 patients with dust mite induced AR with/without asthma were included. Symptom score（SS）, daily medication score（DMS）, combined symptom and medication score（CSMS）, rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire（RQLQ）, NPT and skin prick test（SPT） were assessed before and after 1 year AIT. Results:There were statistical differences in SS（P<0.000 1）, DMS（P<0.000 1）, CSMS（P<0.000 1）, and RQLQ（P<0.000 1） after 1 year of AIT compared with pre-treatment. The effective rate of CSMS was 73.49%, and the effective rate of NPT was 42.17%. CSMS was consistent with NPT in efficacy assessment（Kappa=0.437, P<0.001）; while in 54 patients with pre-treatment NPT concentrations other than the original concentration, CMSM and NPT showed better consistence（Kappa=0.895, P<0.001）. Among the 48 patients with ineffective NPT assessment in the first year, 25 patients completed the second-year follow-up, and 12 patients（48.00%） showed effective in NPT. However, 10 out of 12 patients（83.33%） with NPT concentration other than original solution pre-treatment showed effective NPT at the second year. Conclusion:NPT can be used as one of the indicators for efficacy evaluation for dust mite induced AR patients, especially for patients with positive NPT induced at lower concentrations before treatment.

Research progress and clinical application of allergen nasal provocation test / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

The allergen nasal provocation testing（NPT）, in which allergens are applied directly to the nasal mucosa under standard and controlled conditions to provoke the main symptoms of allergic rhinitis（AR）, reproduces the response of the upper respiratory tract to natural exposure to allergens under controlled conditions and is the only test currently available to confirm nasal reactivity to allergens. It is invaluable in studying the mechanisms of AR and in assessing the response to novel anti-allergic treatments. The test may play an increasingly important role in clinical practice, especially in the identification of local AR, the diagnosis of occupational AR, the clarification of the composition of allergens, the assessment of the efficacy of AR treatment and the selection of candidates undergoing allergen immunotherapy. This article reviewed the application of NPT in the diagnosis of allergic and non-allergic rhinitis, and also introduces the indications, contraindications, advantages and limitations of NPT in evaluating nasal response.