Metachromatic cell changes due to immunotherapy of nasal allergy.

The present study was designed to demonstrate changes in the number of metachromatic cells in the nasal mucosal surface caused by immunotherapy, which plays an important role in the treatment of allergic nasal symptoms.We examined basophils and eosinophils in nasal secretions and mast cells in the nasal mucosal epithelium, basophils and eosinophils in the peripheral blood, and the level of specific IgE antibody in the serum before treatment and every month during hyposensitization of 14 patients with perennial nasal allergy. These patients were divided into two groups: A) excellent or good response and B) slight or no response.In Group A the number of basophils and mast cells in the epithelium was much lower 2 or 3 months after the start of treatment than in Group B. The number of eosinophils in the nasal secretion dropped more rapidly than that in the peripheral blood. The level of specific IgE antibody in the serum of groups did not changes during treatment.These results suggested that the improvement of nasal symptoms by immunotherapy is due to the decrease in number of metachromatic cells on the nasal mucosal surface.