Rhinitis patients with sputum eosinophilia show decreased lung function in the absence of airway hyperresponsiveness

Min Suk Yang, Hyun Seung Lee, Min Hye Kim, Woo Jung Song, Tae Wan Kim, Jae Woo Kwon, Sae Hoon Kim, Heung Woo Park, Yoon Seok Chang, Sang Heon Cho, Kyung Up Min

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Purpose: Sputum eosinophilia is observed frequently in patients with rhinitis. Sputum eosinophilia in patients with non-asthmatic allergic rhinitis has been suggested to be related to nonspecific airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). However, the clinical significance of sputum eosinophilia in patients with non-asthmatic rhinitis without AHR has not been determined. We conducted a retrospective study examining the influence of sputum eosinophilia in patients with non-asthmatic rhinitis without AHR on pulmonary function and expression of fibrosis-related mediators. Methods: Eightynine patients with moderate-to-severe perennial rhinitis without AHR were included. All underwent lung function tests (forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1] and forced vital capacity [FVC]), skin tests to inhalant allergens, methacholine bronchial challenge tests, and hypertonic saline-induced sputum to determine eosinophil counts. Sputum mRNA levels for transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) were also examined. Patients were divided into two groups according to the presence of sputum eosinophilia (≥3%, eosinophilia-positive [EP] and <3%, eosinophilia-negative [EN] groups). Results: FEV1 was significantly lower (P=0.04) and FEV1/FVC tended to be lower (P=0.1) in the EP group than in the EN group. In sputum analyses, the MMP-9 mRNA level (P=0.005) and the ratio of MMP-9 to TIMP-1 expression (P=0.01) were significantly higher in the EP group than in the EN group. There was no significant difference in TGF-β mRNA expression between the two groups. Conclusions: Sputum eosinophilia in patients with moderate-to-severe perennial rhinitis without AHR influenced FEV1 and the expression pattern of fibrosis-related mediators.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)232-238
Number of pages7
JournalAllergy, Asthma and Immunology Research
Volume5
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 2013

Keywords

  • Eosinophil
  • Forced expiratory volume
  • Matrix metalloproteinase-9
  • Rhinitis
  • Sputum

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