• Shuei Tu Chen, Hai Lun Sun, Ko Hsiu Lu, Ko Huang Lue, and Ming Chih Chou.
• Division of Allergy, Asthma and Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
• J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2006 Jun 1; 39 (3): 212-8.

Background And PurposeElevated levels of serum total immunoglobulin E (IgE), serum allergen-specific IgE, serum eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), blood eosinophil count and nasal eosinophil count are considered to be associated with allergic rhinitis (AR), but the relationships between these allergic inflammatory markers and the clinical severity of AR remain controversial. This study aimed to clarify these relationships.Methods186 children aged 2 to 12 years old were selected, including 160 with perennial AR (PAR) and 26 with non-AR as controls. The total nasal symptom score was calculated for each patient from a questionnaire and correlated with data on serum total IgE, serum allergen-specific IgE, serum ECP, and eosinophil count in blood and nasal smear.ResultsLevels of all allergic inflammatory markers in children with PAR were significantly different from those in non-allergic children, except for serum ECP. All of the markers were related to the severity of PAR in bivariate correlation analysis. On multiple linear regression analysis, however, only nasal eosinophil count (p<0.001) and serum allergen-specific IgE (p=0.005) were independent predictors.ConclusionThese results suggest that nasal eosinophil count, an organ-specific allergic inflammatory marker, and serum allergen-specific IgE, a systemic allergic inflammatory marker, are correlated with the severity of PAR in children.

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