Effects of topical corticosteroid and combined mediator blockade on domiciliary and laboratory measurements of nasal function in seasonal allergic rhinitis.

BACKGROUND

Both domiciliary and laboratory measures of nasal function have been used to evaluate treatment response in allergic airways disease; however, these measures have not been compared.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the relationship of domiciliary measures (daily symptoms, peak inspiratory nasal flow, and nasal oral index) and laboratory measures (rhinomanometry, acoustic rhinometry) in assessing treatment response with topical steroids and specific inflammatory mediator blockage.

METHODS

Twenty-one patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis and asthma were enrolled into a single-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study comparing 2 weeks of 1) 400 microg inhaled plus 200 microg intranasal budesonide once daily and 2) 10 mg montelukast plus 10 mg cetirizine once daily. Before each treatment, patients received 7 to 10 days of placebo period. Laboratory measurements were made of nasal resistance by posterior rhinomanometry, and nasal volume between 0 and 5 cm by acoustic rhinometry after both placebo and active treatment periods. Daily domiciliary recordings were made of allergic rhinitis nasal symptoms scores and peak nasal and oral inspiratory flow rate (enabling the calculation of a nasal/oral index) throughout the study.

RESULTS

There were significant (P < 0.05) improvements for all allergic rhinitis symptoms with both therapies, after factoring for pollen count. Spearman's rank correlation for comparison among nasal symptoms and the objective responses were: nasal inspiratory flow rate (R = -0.50, P = 0.02); nasal/oral index (R = -0.55 P = 0.01); rhinomanometry (R = 0.24, P = 0.30); and acoustic rhinometry (R = -0.21, P = 0.36).

CONCLUSIONS

Both treatments were effective in managing allergic rhinitis symptoms, and patients' symptoms were more closely associated with domiciliary measurements of nasal flow than laboratory measurements of nasal function.