EOSINOPHIL AND EOSINOPHIL CATIONIC PROTEIN IN ALLERGIC RHINITIS

To evaluate the roles of eosinophils in allergic rhinitis, eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) levels in sera and nasal secretions were measur ed in 28 patients with allergic rhinitis. In patients, blood eosinophi l counts and serum ECP levels were significantly higher than in contro ls (p < 0.05). However, there was no statistically significant correla tion between blood eosinophil count and serum ECP level (r = 0.025). T he number of eosinophils and the ECP level in nasal secretion were als o measured. In patients, the ECP level increased with the number of eo sinophils, and the ECP level in nasal secretion was significantly high er than in controls (p < 0.05). These results suggest that eosinophils and ECP play important roles in allergic rhinitis.