Objective: In order to study the relationship between allergic rhinitis and airway hyperresponsiveness.
Method: Each of them were separately engaged skin test with antigen. All 50 patients had intense positive reaction to artemisia pollen (++-+++), but all controls were negative. We conducted bronchial provocation test (BPT) with 1:100 (w/v) artemisia pollen. Before and after BPT, we separately tested the forced expiratory volume in first second (FEV1) which represented ventilative function and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in their serum.
Result: Before BPT, 50 patients and 20 normal controls had no trachea symptoms. FEV1 of 50 patients is (70 +/- 20)%, that normal controls is (85.6 +/- 8.9)% (P < 0.001). After BPT, in 50 patients, 23 cases felt constriction in the chest, 10 cases had wheezes, 5 cases had asthma, 12 cases had no symptoms. At the same time, all of normal controls had no symptoms. After BPT, FEV1 of 50 patients is (60 +/- 20)%, that of normal controls was (85.6 +/- 8.9)% (P < 0.05), ECP of patients was (30.37 +/- 18.92) micrograms/L, that of controls was (5.245 +/- 3.228) micrograms/L (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: Patients with allergic rhinitis not only have chronic inflammation in their nose mucosa that results from allergic react, but also have chronic inflammation in bronchus which leads to AHR. The results reveal that most patients with allergic rhinitis have AHR (76%).