EFFECT OF EXPERIMENTAL RHINOVIRUS-39 INFECTION ON THE NASAL RESPONSE TO HISTAMINE AND COLD-AIR CHALLENGES IN ALLERGIC AND NONALLERGIC SUBJECTS

To determine whether a viral upper respiratory tract infection can alt er the responsiveness of the nasal mucosa, Paired intranasal histamine and cold air challenge sessions were performed before and after (8 to 13 days) experimental rhinovirus infection in 18 nonallergic subjects and 20 subjects with seasonal allergic rhinitis. The nasal response t o the challenges was measured as symptom scores for rhinorrhea and con gestion, counts for sneezing weight for expelled secretions, and inspi ratory conductance for nasal patency. For both sessions, a greater res ponse was observed in allergic subjects for sneezing, symptoms of rhin orrhea and congestion, secretion weights provoked by histamine challen ge, and secretion weights provoked by cold air challenge when compared with the nonallergic subjects. A comparison of the responses to the p aired challenge sessions showed greater responses for sneezing secreti on weight and rhinorrhea to histamine and for secretion weight to cold air challenges performed after rhinovirus infection. No differences w ere observed between allergic and nonallergic subjects with respect to the degree of enhanced responsiveness secondary to viral infection Th ese results document an increased responsiveness of the nose to these stimuli during the postsymptomatic period of a rhinovirus infection in both allergic and nonallergic subjects.