외인성 기관지천식과 알레르기성 비염의 연관성

Background: Allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma are closely related in epidemiology and natural history and typically represent a type I hypersensitivity reaction. But the relationship between upper and lower airway manifestation of allergy remain incompletely investigated. Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the results of allergic examinations between extrinsic bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis. Materials and Methods: In this study, we compared several allergic examinations: nasal smear, peripheral blood eosinophil count, serum total IgE level, skin prick test, and multiple allergosorvent test chemiluminescent assay (MAST CLA), in 59 extrinsic bronchial asthma patients, 21 extrinsic bronchial asthma with allergic rhinitis patients, and 47 allergic rhinitis patients. Results: In extrinsic bronchial asthma, positive (>10%) nasal smear was 2.7%, positive (>500/ul) blood eosinophil count was 27.1%, positive (>100 IU/ml) serum total IgE was 71. 2%, the mean number of positive MAST CLA was 1.75, and the mean number of positive skin reaction was 2.38. In extrinsic bronchial asthma with allergic rhinitis patients, test results were 20.0%, 28.6%, 76.2%, and 3.00, 4.29 respectively. And in allergic rhinitis patients, test results were 93.3%, 14.9%, 76.6%, and 2.38, 2.40 respectively. Summary: The patients with allergic rhinitis and bronchial astham have higher blood eosinophil count than allergic rhinitis and much polysensitized than bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis. (J Clinical Otolaryngol 1999;10:41-45)