It is no skin off my nose: The relationship between the skin and allergic rhinitis

Abstract

Objective: Evidence supports the relationship between the skin barrier and allergic conditions. This narrative review evaluates what role the cutaneous barrier may play in the pathogenesis, disease course, and management of allergic rhinitis (AR).

Data sources: A literature review of the MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, Cochrane, and SCOPUS Sciverse databases was conducted to identify available evidence. Reference lists of pertinent papers were searched using a snowball technique.

Study selections: Papers published in English from all years until December 2020 were included. Papers that did not address the relationship between AR and the skin and hypothesis papers were excluded.

Results: The cutaneous barrier shares histologic characteristics with the sinonasal epithelial barrier, which may explain commonalities between AR and atopic dermatitis. A disruption in the epithelial barrier could be a common pathway in the development of multiple allergic conditions. The skin is a common target for the treatment of AR. Available data that look at the relationship between the skin and AR often include other topics such as other atopic disorders and the role of the epithelial barrier. Increased understanding of how the cutaneous barrier affects AR may lead to new innovations in its management.

Conclusion: The connection between the cutaneous barrier and AR holds possibilities for further investigation, and these may lead to a better understanding and future innovations for all atopic diseases.