NASAL HISTAMINE PROVOCATION OF TENANTS IN A SICK-BUILDING RESIDENTIALAREA

Health problems associated with the indoor climate have aroused an inc reasing scientific interest, and the term ''sick-building syndrome'' ( SBS), which describes the most frequent symptoms in this context, has been coined. However, it has been difficult to demonstrate objectively any pathophysiological cal changes in the subjects affected. Thirty-t hree healthy and nonatopic persons were randomly selected on the basis of answers in a postal questionnaire dealing with discomfort or healt h symptoms experienced in their home environment. Twenty-three lived i n a residential area with indoor climate problems (SBS area) and 10 li ved in an area without climate problems (non-SBS area). Twelve persons from the SBS area reported nasal symptoms, which they ascribed to the ir home environment. The remaining 11 persons from the same area, as w ell as the 10 subjects from the non-SBS area, had no nasal distress. T hey were examined with rhinostereometry during histamine provocation. Hyperreactivity, defined as mucosal swelling exceeding 0.4 mm at 5 and 10 minutes after provocation with 0.14 ml of 2 mg/ml histamine chlori de, was frequent in the symptomatic SBS group as well as in the asympt omatic SBS group. The analysis of the increment of mucosal swelling fo r the whole range of histamine chloride concentrations (0.1 mg/ml to 1 6 mg/ml) showed significantly different growth curves for the three gr oups in the residential areas and an external reference group, (p < 0. 0001). Subjects living in the SBS area were prone to nasal hyperreacti vity, whether they reported symptoms from the upper airways or not. Th e results support the hypothesis that living in an SBS area increases the risk of developing nonspecific nasal hyperreactivity.