Effect of six-hour exposure to nitrogen dioxide on early-phase nasal response to allergen challenge in patients with a history of seasonal allergic rhinitis☆,☆☆,★,★★
Section snippets
Subjects
Because no data were available for comparison from similar studies, it was not possible to perform power statistics at the outset of this study, which was conducted in randomized, single-blind, and crossover manner outside the pollen season in the United Kingdom. Consequently, we performed our study in a total of 16 patients with a history of seasonal allergic rhinitis who were free of symptoms, on the basis of the study by Bascom et al.,11 which investigated the effect of 4-hour exposure to
RESULTS
No significant changes were found in NAR, during either inspiration or expiration after 6-hour exposure to air or 400 ppb NO2, in the subjects in group 1. Exposure for 6 hours to air or 400 ppb NO2 did not induce rhinorrhea nor did it significantly alter the mean number of sneezes in this group of volunteers (Table I). Analysis of ECP, MCT, MPO, and IL-8 levels in nasal lavage fluid demonstrated that these values were also not altered significantly after 6-hour exposure to air or 400 ppb NO2 (
DISCUSSION
Our studies have demonstrated that exposure of subjects with a history of seasonal allergic rhinitis who are free of symptoms to 400 ppb NO2 for 6 hours neither altered the nasal patency (NAR) nor increased nasal symptoms (sneezing) or the levels of inflammatory mediators (ECP, MPO, MCT, and IL-8) measured in nasal lavage fluid immediately after exposure. Although prior exposure to NO2 and air for 6 hours followed by allergen challenge led to a significant increase in the concentration of
Acknowledgements
We thank Ms. Janice Thomas, in the Department of Statistical Analysis, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, for assistance in statistical analysis.
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2008, Journal of Allergy and Clinical ImmunologyCitation Excerpt :In the United States, motor vehicles account for nearly half of all NOx emissions.90 Although NOx has an atmospheric lifetime of only hours to days, exposure is associated with chronic and acute changes in lung function, including bronchial neutrophilic infiltration, increased proinflammatory cytokine production, and, as mentioned, enhanced response to inhaled allergens.27-35 The currently forecast business-as-usual levels of NOx emissions will lead to continued increases in ground level ozone, increases in levels of pulmonary proinflammatory mediators (both directly and through ozone production), and increased allergen sensitivity, especially in individuals with asthma.
Brief exposures to NO<inf>2</inf> augment the allergic inflammation in asthmatics
2005, Environmental ResearchCitation Excerpt :NO2 pre-exposure enhanced the allergen-induced increase in ECP levels in sputum. Related effects in the airways have been reported, namely, increased ECP levels in nasal lavage (Wang et al., 1995) and in the distal lower airways (Barck et al., 2002). These two studies and the present one, representing three separate sites within the airways, support the proposal that NO2 exposure before allergen challenge enhances the allergic inflammatory reaction in the human airways by stimulating eosinophil activity.
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2004, ChestCitation Excerpt :It has been shown that exposures of 2 to 5 ppm NO2 in healthy subjects increases the number of inflammatory cells found in BAL fluid.11 Wang and coworkers16,29 studied the effects of NO2 inhalation in subjects with seasonal allergic rhinitis and found that NO2 exposure increased allergen-induced eosinophilic cationic protein, mast cell tryptase, myeloperoxidase, and interleukin-8. Another study showed that, in asthmatic subjects, short-term exposure to NO2 from single episodes of gas cooking was associated with immediate airflow limitation.
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From the Department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergy, St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, London.
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Supported by the National Asthma Campaign (UK), Joint Research Board of St. Bartholomew’s Hospital and Glaxo Group Research Limited.
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Reprint requests: Robert J. Davies, MD, Department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergy, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London EC1A 7BE, England UK.
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