This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.

Local allergic rhinitis may not always progress to classic allergic rhinitis

Local allergic rhinitis may not always evolve into the classic form of allergic rhinitis, according to data from an ongoing study.

“After 5 years, the subjects with [local allergic rhinitis] experienced worsening of the rhinitis, reflected in the assessment of both the physician and the patient, in the use of emergency assistance, and in the increased prevalence of conjunctivitis,” Carmen Rondón, MD, PhD, of the allergy service at Carlos Haya Hospital in Malaga, Spain, and colleagues wrote.

The ongoing prospective 10-year follow-up study of an initial cohort of 194 patients with a recent onset of local allergic rhinitis and 130 healthy controls included a questionnaire, spirometry, skin prick test, and specific IgE to aeroallergens each year.

Other tests included nasal allergen provocation with dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Alternaria alternata, Olea europea, and a mix of grass pollen at baseline and after 5 years.

Thus far, data have indicated that most patients with local allergic rhinitis had moderate-to-severe persistent-perennial rhinitis; conjunctivitis (51.1%) and asthma (18.8%) were the main comorbidities, and D pteronyssinus was the most relevant aeroallergen (51.1%).

Five-year data demonstrated a worsening of rhinitis among 26.2% of patients, with an increased prevalence of symptom persistence and severity, new associations with conjunctivitis and asthma. Furthermore, atopy was determined by skin prick tests and/or serum specific-IgE in patients with local allergic rhinitis (6.81%) and in controls (4.5%), according to data.

“In conclusion, our study detected a similar rate of development of systemic atopy in patients with [local allergic rhinitis] and in healthy controls, which suggests that [local allergic rhinitis] and classic [allergic rhinitis] may be two independent entities,” the researchers wrote.

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.