Variance of melatonin and cortisol rhythm in patients with allergic rhinitis

Objective

Allergic rhinitis is an IgE-mediated inflammatory disease which effects 10%–50% of the normal population. The mechanism of its formation and the circadian rhythm of cortisol and melatonin in allergic rhinitis have not been investigated.

Study design

Salivary levels of melatonin and cortisol were measured by radioimmunoassay in 35 newly diagnosed allergic rhinitis patients and in 23 control subjects matched for age and gender.

Results

In the study group; amplitude, baseline and peak levels of salivary melatonin were significantly decreased compared with healty controls (p < 0.001). No differences were found in the acrophase and the peak duration of salivary melatonin between the study and control groups (p > 0.05).In the study subjects, the circadian rhythm of cortisol was flattened when compared with the control group. The amplitude and the 24 h mean levels of salivary cortisol in the study group were significantly lower than in the control group and the acrophase was delayed in patients compared with control subjects (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The circadian rhythms of salivary melatonin and cortisol were found to be disrupted in patients with allergic rhinitis. These results may also be contributive data to explain the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis and also they can be applicable as adjunctive therapeutic tools in the future and melatonin drugs might be an alternative in the therapy of resistant allergic rhinitis patients or allergic rhinitis patients who cannot use cortisol drugs.