Vol.96 No.3 contentsPRACTICA OTO-RHINO-LARYNGOLOGICA
Vol. 96 No. 3 March 2003
Effects of Pollenosis on the Lower Airway
Mari Miyagi, Toshio Ookoshi and Madoka Kawano
(Toho University)
Purpose: Effects of pollenosis on the lower airway were investigated in patients positive for specific nasal provocation test with Japanese cedar, cock's foot grass, and/or ragweed pollens.
Subjects and Methods: The present study enrolled twenty-three, seven, and nine patients who were positive for Japanese cedar pollen provocation, sneezed in response to Japanese cedar pollen provocation, and were positive for cock's foot grass (7 patients) and ragweed (2 patients) pollen provocation, respectively, on nasal antigen provocation test, performed using antigen disks of Japanese cedar, cock's foot grass, and ragweed pollens at our allergy outpatient clinic between 1984 and 1990. These patients were examined by spirography with flow-volume curve recording.
Results: The most remarkable changes were observed in the zone below V75 in patients who sneezed in response to Japanese cedar pollen provocation, at V50 in those positive for cock's foot grass/ragweed pollen provocation, and at V25 in those positive for Japanese cedar pollen provocation.
Conclusion: The most severe effects of pollenosis on the lower airway were observed in patients who sneezed in response to Japanese cedar pollen provocation. Since these results indicate that pollenosis does influence the lower airway, treatment of the lower airway is thought to be needed whenever symptoms involving the lower airway appear.
Key words : pollenosis, lower respiratory tract, flow volume curve, maximal expiratory flow volume