DIAGNOSTIC-VALUE OF NASAL PROVOCATION TESTING AND RHINOMANOMETRY IN ALLERGIC RHINITIS

We studied 32 patients, aged 7 to 17 years, with clinical symptoms of perennial allergic rhinitis, isolated (n = 21) or associated with asth ma (n = 11), all of them with positive skin test and specific serum Ig E for Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dpt). The control group consiste d of 10 children aged 7 to 16 years, with no personal or family histor y of allergy and with negative skin tests and negative specific serum IgE for mites. Total and specific IgE measurements in nasal secretion and nasal provocation testing (NPT) were also performed with increasin g concentrations of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dpt) extracts. The nasal response was evaluated using a clinical score and active anteri or rhinomanometry. The levels of total and specific IgE in nasal secre tion were higher in patients with allergic rhinitis than in individual s from the control group. The NPT presented a significant correlation with clinical symptoms, skin tests and specific serum IgE. None of the individuals from the control group presented a positive NPT. No gener alized reactions or bronchial response at the immediate phase of NPT w ere observed The NPT constitutes a safe, dependable investigative proc edure of nasal reactivity to a specific allergen, presenting a good se nsitivity and specificity when compared to the other methods classical ly used in allergy studies.