Autonomic nervous disorder seems to be one of the factors to cause allergic symptoms. It is generally accepted that the parasympathetic nerve is predominant in the patients with nasal allergy. Norepinephrine could evoke exaggerated mucosal vasoconstriction. If the sympathetic post-ganglionic fibers are destroyed and release of norepinephrine is decreased, the symptoms of nasal allergy will be evoked more easily. It is the purpose of this study to investigate the damage of sympathetic nerve in the nasal allergy through the estimation of norepinephrine content in the inferior turbinate.
The nasal mucosa was obtained from 21 patients with inhalant allergies who demonstrated a positive skin test, positive provocation test and marked eosinophilia in nasal secretion. The normal samples were obtained from 13 patients with paranasal sinusitis who had no history of nasal allergy.
The specimens were quickly homogenized in O.5N cold perchloric acid and then centrifuged at 12, 000rpm. The supernatant was stored at -20°C untill biochemical assay were performed. Norepinephrine was assayed by a spectrophotofluometric method after Martin and Harrison.
The average value of norepinephrine content of control group was 182.4±121.2ng/g and that of allergic patients was 61.0±49.8ng/g. The difference was significant. The mean value of norepinephrine in the patients suffering nasal allergy less than 5 years duration was 32.1±36.4ng/g and it was significantly the lowest levels in this study.
It has been suggested that the sympathetic nerve might be destroyed and parasympathetic nerve might survive in early stage of allergic conditions. In the patients suffering atopic allergy for a long term, the sympathetic nerve might be gradually recovered.
