Abstract
Hyperresponsiveness of the nasal mucosa to allergens can be studied from two different aspects, its sensitivity and reactivity. The reactivity of the nasal mucosa was studied by a repeated nasal provocation test in volunteers with Japanease cedar pollen allergy in a pollen-free seasen, and the results were analyzed for correlation with symptoms observed in the actual pollen-spreading season. Supposing that patients with pollen allergy are repeatedlly exposed to the same antigens within the same day, 18 volunteers were repeatedly exposed to allergens every one hour for a total of six times in a pollen-free season. The symptoms became somewhat milder as the number of provocations increased, but the difference was not statistically significant.
Supposing that patients are exposed to the same antigens every day, 23 volunteers were exposed to the same antigens once a day for 6 consecutive days. As a result, induced symptoms significanty increased as the days went by, and the levels of triptase and ECP in the nasal lavage significantly increased in a high response group. Of volunteers who participated in the 6-day provocation test, 8 voluteers were obserbed for 3 months in the pollen-spreading season without treatment. The severity of allergic symptoms was clearly different between the high response group and mild response group identified in the 6-day provocation test, suggesting in creased reactivity in the high reponse group. This study demonstrated that individual difference in the responsiveness and augmentation of reponsiveness can be known based on the results of repeated nasal provocation in a pollen-free season. The high-responce group and mild response group as classified by the provocation test were in agreement with the time course of changes in symptoms observed in the actual pollen-spreading season.
