Current therapeutical strategies for allergic rhinitis

Introduction: Allergic rhinitis is a common condition with increasing prevalence and is associated with several comorbid disorders such as bronchial asthma and atopic dermatitis. If allergen avoidance is not possible, allergen-specific immunotherapy is the only causal treatment option.

Areas covered: This review focuses on current treatments and the future outlook for allergic rhinitis. Pharmacotherapy includes mast cell stabilizers, antihistamines, glucocorticosteroids (GCSs), leukotriene receptor antagonists, and nasal decongestants. Nasal GCSs are currently regarded as the most effective treatment and are considered first-line therapy together with non-sedating antihistamines. The new formulation MP29-02 combines the nasal GCS fluticasone propionate with azelastine in one single spray and has achieved greater improvements than those under monotherapy with modern GCSs or antihistamines. Furthermore, this review discusses allergen immunotherapy alone and in combination with modern monoclonal antibodies.

Expert opinion: Despite the variety of medications for allergic rhinitis, ranging from general symptomatic agents like GCSs or decongestants, to more specific ones like histamine receptor or leukotriene blockers, to causal therapy like immunotherapy, many patients still experience treatment failures or unsatisfactory results. The ultimate goal may be to endotype every downstream pathway separately in order to offer patients individualized, targeted therapy with specific antibodies against the respective pathway.     

Rhinitis Symptom Utility Index (RSUI) in Chinese Subjects: A Multiattribute Patient-preference Approach

Background: The Rhinitis Symptom Utility Index (RSUI), originally developed in the United States, consists of a patient-preference weighting scheme and a 10-item questionnaire measuring the severity and frequency of rhinitis related symptoms over a 14-day period. This study aimed to determine whether the Chinese RSUI could adopt the US-based multi-attribute utility function (MAUF) in scoring rhinitis symptoms. Methods: In a Hong Kong study, 116 Chinese adults with allergic rhinitis completed the RSUI questionnaire and 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) after they had been seen by two otorhinolaryngologists for disease-severity ratings. Respondents then completed computer-administered direct preference measures, i.e., visual analogue scale (VAS) and standard gamble (SG) assessments. The VAS and SG data were used to estimate a MAUF for the Chinese-based RSUI. Results: The derived MAUF was somewhat different than the one developed for the US RSUI. Test–retest reliability for the Chinese RSUI was satisfactory (ICC = 0.71, p<0.001). Scores differentiated among cases with mild, moderate, and severe symptoms (p<0.001); and between those who did and did not require medications to control symptoms (p = 0.031). Findings were significantly correlated with SF-36 domain scores (r = 0.19 to 0.37; p=0.041 to <0.001). When the US-based scoring function was applied to the Chinese subjects, the resulting mean RSUI score was significantly lower (p<0.001). Comparisons between directly measured VAS and SG scores between the US and Chinese samples, demonstrated significant differences (all p<0.05), with the US subjects consistently rating rhinitis symptoms as worse than Chinese subjects. Conclusions: The Chinese RSUI has good measurement properties that reflect patient preferences from the Chinese. Results suggest that there are differences in preference rating between US and Chinese subjects and that use of the US-based preference function for the RSUI would bias the measurement of rhinitis symptom outcomes in Chinese subjects.     

Allergic fungal sinusitis— A clinico-pathological study

The co-existence of fungal elements in allergic nasal Polyposis, has given rise to a distinct clinical entity known as ‘Allergic fungal sinusitis ’ (AF’S). Many a time, these fungal elements may not be diagnosed pre-operatively by routine diagnostic nasal endoscopy or CT scan of paranasal sinuses, due to the florid presentation of nasal polyps, which usually obscure the underlying fungal pathology. The diagnosis is often made intra-operatively. The post-operative confirmation of AFS is by histopathology, fungal smear, fungal culture, allergic murin study and fungal specific IgE titres. We report a series often such cases done in our institution, which highlight that AFS should be considered as a differential diagnosis in Sinonasal Polyposis cases, for their effective management.     

湖北地区汉族变应性哮喘患儿Tim-3启动子区基因多态性研究

目的 探讨湖北地区汉族儿童T细胞免疫球蛋白黏蛋白域蛋白．3（Tim-3）启动子区1541位C〉T和574位G〉T单核苷酸变异及其与变应性哮喘易感性之间的关系。方法 分别采用聚合酶链反应．限制性片段长度多态性（PCR-RFLP）和引物特异PCR-核酸序列测定技术检测湖北143例哮喘患儿和72名健康儿童Tim-3启动子区1541位C〉T和574位G〉T单核苷酸变异，讣算基因型和等位基因频率。结果 湖北地区健康儿童Tim-3启动子区1541位C／C、C／T和T／T基因型频率分别是0．961、0．039和0，而哮喘患儿频率分别为0．935、0．065、0，其基因型频率与对照组差异无统计学意义（r=0．3825，P=0．5362）；湖北健康儿童中Tim-3启动子区574位G／G、G／T和T／T基因型频率分别为0．992、0．008和0，而哮喘患儿频率分别为0．941、0．059、0，两组基因型频率差异有统计学意义（χ^2=4．134，P=0．042）。结论 湖北汉族儿童Tim-3启动子区存在多态性变异，其中574位G〉T多态性可能与湖北汉族儿童变应性哮喘易感性有关。     

TGF-β and IL-17 serum levels and specific immunotherapy

Two new T cell subsets may be involved in allergic rhinitis (AR) pathogenesis: Th17 and T regulatory cells, mainly producing IL-17 and TGF-β respectively. Successful Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT) induces relevant immunological changes, thus the aim of this study was to evaluate serum IL-17 and TGF-β levels in AR patients treated with SLIT for 2 years. Patients' blood samples were collected before initiating SLIT (baseline), three months after the end of the first pre-seasonal SLIT course, and at the end of the second pre-seasonal course. IL-17 was detectable only in the most severe allergic patients. SLIT significantly induced an increase in serum TGF-β levels. There was moreover a significant relationship between TGF-β and symptom severity and drug use at the end of the study. Therefore, this study provides clinically relevant evidence that two pre-seasonal SLIT courses may significantly affect serum TGF-β levels.     

Allergen avoidance in the secondary and tertiary prevention of allergic diseases: does it work?

Although allergen avoidance is widely recommended as part of a secondary and tertiary prevention strategy for allergic diseases, a clear-cut demonstration of its effectiveness is still lacking. Ongoing observational secondary prevention cohorts show that sensitisation to mite can be prevented in the short term by allergen avoidance measures, but further follow-up of these children is needed to show if this effect can be sustained, as well as to ascertain its impact on allergic disease. More well-designed trials are still required before we can give any conclusive advice to our patients. Considering the management of allergy, current evidence suggests that interventions in children (either single or multifaceted) may be associated with some beneficial effect on asthma control, but no conclusive evidence exists regarding rhinitis or eczema. Conversely, there is little evidence to support the recommendation of allergen avoidance methods in adults with asthma and rhinitis. There is a need for an adequately designed trial assessing the effects of a multifaceted intervention in this age group.     

Phaeohyphomycosis caused by Bipolaris spicifera: An informative case

A case of phaeohyphomycosis caused by Bipolaris spicifera involving the brain and sinuses is presented. The patient survived following surgery and ketoconazole therapy, which successfully treated both the sinus and the brain infections.     

鼻内镜下激光凝固中鼻甲前端治疗变应性鼻炎

（1）目的 探讨鼻内窥镜下Nd:YAG激光治疗变应性鼻炎的方法。（2）方法 应用鼻内镜下Nd:YAG激光凝固中务甲前1／3端治疗变应性鼻炎126例。（3） 结果 随访1年，显效109例（86．5％），有效13例（10．3％），无效4例（3．2％），总有效率96．8％。（4）结论 鼻内镜下Nd:YAG激光凝固中鼻甲前1．3端治疗变应性鼻炎，具有视野清楚，操作简便，疗效好等优点，值得临床应用。     

口腔径路曲安奈德蝶腭神经节封闭治疗变应性鼻炎（附415例报告）

目的：探讨口腔径路曲安奈德蝶腭神经节封闭治疗变应性鼻炎的效果。方法：变应性鼻炎患者415例，男270例，女145例。用自制封闭针头于口腔径路行曲安奈德蝶腭神经节封闭术。结果：415例中，有效250例，好转63例，总有效率为99．5％。结论：经口腔径路用曲安奈德行蝶腭神经节封闭术是治疗变应性鼻炎的有效疗法。