Enhanced leukotriene generation and bronchial hyperresponsiveness in asthmatics with allergic rhinitis

Rhinitis frequently precedes asthma, and treating allergic rhinitis has benefi­ cial effects on asthma. suggesting upper airway disease is a risk factor for asthma. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of allergic rhinitis on se­ rum IgE level. leukotriene generation by peripheral leukocytes, and bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) to methacholine in patients with atopic asthma. Seventy-one asthmatic subjects (mean age, 59.5±12.5 years; 37 women, 34 men) were recruited, and 48 asthmatics had allergic rhinitis and 23 asthmatics did not have allergic rhinitis. The 10glO(Dmin) was significantly lower for those with allergic rhinitis than those with­ out allergic rhinitis (p<0.05), implying that those with allergic rhinitis developed BHR to a greater degree than those without allergic rhinitis. LTC, generation from periph­ eral leukocytes was significantly greater for atopic asthmatics with allergic rhinitis than those without allergic rhinitis (p<0 .05). In contrast, the amount of LTB, produced from peripheral leukocytes did not significantly differ between asthmatic patients with and without allergic rhinitis. These results suggest that the presence of allergic rhinitis enhances BHR by enhancing LTC, production, while the presence of allergic rhinitis did not affect LTB, production in patients with atopic asthma.