Nasal secretion specific IgE in rhinitis patients

Forty-five subjects with rhinitis of suspected allergic origin underwent immune and allergy testing including skin-tests and immuno-enzymatic assay of serum and nasal secretion specific IgE (RAST). Nasal secretion was collected using a cotton tampon inserted in both middle meati. A statistical analysis comparing the results of skin-tests and serum RAST was performed: the results obtained with these two techniques were very homogeneous (86.7% accuracy). An overall concordance (82.2%) was also observed by comparing skin-tests and nasal secretion RAST. Finally, the results of serum and nasal secretion RAST were compared: in this case totally superimposed data were reported (overall accuracy: 93.3%). In all cases the comparison between RAST classes in serum and nasal secretion was carried out: the difference between the semiquantitative evaluation of reaginic concentration classes using these two methods is not statistically significant (chi-square test). This technique of nasal secretion collection is simple and with no risk involved.