NEUTROPHIL CHEMOTACTIC ACTIVITY (NCA) IN NASAL SECRETIONS FROM ATOPICAND NONATOPIC SUBJECTS - EFFECT OF ANTIGEN CHALLENGE

In order to elucidate the mechanism responsible for infiltration of na sal mucosa by granulocytes, we tested neutrophil chemotactic activity (NCA) in nasal lavages, by the modified Boyden chamber method, in 16 p atients with perennial allergic rhinitis (AR), six ASA-sensitive patie nts with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), and seven normal, nonatopic con trol subjects (NC). Nasal secretions from all three groups showed sign ificant NCA (mean 157.1 +/- 54.0, 62.2 +/- 20.7, and 39.4 +/- 11.4% of FMLP chemotactic activity for AR, CRS, and NC subjects, respectively) . Nasal secretions from patients with AR expressed significantly highe r NCA (P < 0.02) than did secretions from NA patients. NCA was unchang ed by heating at 56-degrees-C for 60 min and was not susceptible to de gradation by trypsin. Nasal challenge with Dermatophagoides pteronyssi nus antigen induced clinical symptoms and resulted in significant incr eases in total protein and albumin concentrations in nasal lavages in AR patients, but failed to change the mean NCA activity for up to 40 m in after the challenge. These results indicate that nasal secretions f rom both atopic and nonatopic patients express NCA, but its relation t o allergic inflammation remains to be established.