The Correlation Study between the Specific IgE for Staphylococcus Aureus Exotoxin and Nasal Mucus Culture in Allergic Rhinitis / 대한이비인후과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: There is a reported association between the increased levels of specific IgE and Staphylococcus aureus exotoxins (SE) and eosinophilic inflammation in nasal polyp tissue. However, the role of IgE to SE in allergic rhinitis has not been known definitely. We sought to find whether the specific IgE to SE has a correlation with the allergic rhinitis. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Nasal mucosa and serum were obtained from 30 patients undergoing submucous turbinectomy of inferior turbinates for allergic rhinitis and 20 control patients undergoing septoplasty. Nasal culture was performed for each patient. Specific IgE levels for S. aureus exotoxin A (SEA), S. aureus exotoxin B (SEB), and toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1) were measured using ImmunoCAP method in both nasal mucosa and serum. RESULTS: The culture rate for S. aureus was 13.3% for allergic rhinitis and 10% for the control. The specific IgE for S. aureus in serum was significantly expressed in allergic rhinitis (30%) compared to in the control (10%). In nasal mucosa of allergic rhinitis patients, the specific IgE has shown higher expression rate (20%) than the control (0%). CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated that there is a correlation between allergic rhinitis and specific IgE to S. aureus exotoxin in both nasal mucosa and serum. These results suggest that S. aureus exotoxin can act as a traditional allergen and induce the development of allergic rhinitis.