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Objective: This study was conducted to investigate nasal nitric oxide (nNO) and its metabolites nasal nitrite-nitrate (nNOx) in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR), the effects of two different drugs (oral antihistamine and intranasal steroid) on nNOx and the presence of a correlation between nNOx and clinical parameters. Methods: Sixty patients with active symptoms of perennial AR and 25 healthy adults as a control group were enrolled. The patients were randomized into two groups. Half of the patients received fexofenadine 1x120 mg/day orally, and the other half received triamcinolone acetonide 1 x2 puff/day intranasally for one month. The amount of nNOx in nasal lavage fluid was measured by using a commercially available kit and the photometric endpoint determination method. Results: Pre-treatment levels of NOx in the nasal lavage fluids (1.92± 1.20 mg/l) of patients with AR were found to be significantly higher when compared with nasal lavage fluid NOx levels of healthy adults (1.38±0.78 mg/l) (p=0.04). The post-treatment nNOx level (1.52±0.85 mg/l) was significantly lower when compared with the pre-treatment value (p=0.028). Conclusion: Nasal nitric oxide metabolites were shown to be good biomarkers for AR, and that oral fexofenadine significantly decreased nNOx levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a globally common inflammatory disease that has a considerable effect on an individual's quality of life. It is estimated that AR affects 10% to 25% of the general population. Both gustatory and olfactory disorders affect the social activities and job performance resulting in impaired quality of life in patients suffering from AR. We think that these problems have not been sufficiently investigated in the past. We, therefore, decided to evaluate the smell-taste disorders in patients suffering from AR. Our objective is to evaluate the chemosensory perception in patients suffering from allergic AR. Methods: Fifty-four patients with AR and 34 healthy controls were enrolled for the current study. "Sniffin' sticks" test and taste strips were used for chemosensory assessment. Results: According to the "Sniffin' sticks" test results, patients with AR had significantly lower scores for odor threshold and identification subtasks, whereas there was no difference between the two groups regarding odor discrimination scores (p<0.001, p<0.001, and p=0.3, respectively). After evaluating the taste strip test results, we found that taste scores were significantly low in patients with AR when compared to controls for sweet, salty, bitter and sour tastes. Conclusion: This study showed clinically important deficiency of chemosensory sensitivity in AR patients. Since chemosensory deprivation in AR patients has tended to be overlooked in the past, these outcomes suggest that chemosensory disorders should be part of the standard evaluation of patients with AR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allergic respiratory diseases are common public health problem. Although several treatment options, some of patients cannot manage to get satisfactory recovery. High altitude (HA) is shown as a natural additive and/or salvage therapy option for this patient group. We aimed to present the effect of HA on allergic rhinitis and bronchial hyperreactivity in company with literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We evaluated the incidence of psychiatric disorders in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and assessed the effects of the use of antidepressants on symptoms when they are included in the treatment regimen of patients with AR who are resistant to AR treatment. Methods: A total of 49 patients who were resistant to the treatment for AR and who did not accept the option of immunotherapy were included in the study. Thirty-eight of the 40 patients were advised to take the antidepressant sertraline; however, only 21 of them agreed to use the medication while 17 of them refused. The 21 patients who agreed to begin the antidepressant were also advised to undergo AR treatment with desloratadine once per day and intranasal mometasone furoate once per day (Group 1). The patients who refused to use the antidepressant were advised to begin the AR treatment (Group 2). Symptom scoring for AR was again performed for all patients 6 weeks after treatment. The Psychological Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI TX I and TX II) were performed on the patients in the company of a psychiatrist. Results: The post-treatment nasal and non-nasal symptom scores in Group 1 were significantly better than the pretreatment scores for any of the seven symptoms (p=0.000). No significant correlation was found between the AR symptom scores and the average SCL-90 general symptom score, the SCL-90 subscale scores, the total BDI scores, and the STAI scores (p>0.05). Conclusion: This study suggests that the use of antidepressants diminishes the allergic symptoms in patients with treatment-resistant AR since psychosomatic factor is of great importance in the patient population of AR. Amaç: Bu çalışmada alerjik rinit (AR) hastalarında psikiyatrik bozuklukların insidansı ve AR tedavisine dirençli AR hastalarının tedavi rejimine dahil edildiğinde antidepresanların etkilerini değerlendirmeyi amaçladık. Yöntem: Çalışmaya AR tedavisine dirençli ve immünoterapi seçeneğini kabul etmeyen toplam 49 hasta alındı. Kırk hastanın 38'ine antidepresan sertralin alması önerildi. Ancak yalnızca 21'i ilacı kullanmayı kabul ederken 17'si reddetti. Antidepresana başlamayı kabul eden 21 hastaya ayrıca günde tek doz desloratadin ve intranazal mometazon furoat alması önerildi (Grup 1). Antidepresan kullanmayı reddeden hastalara AR tedavisine başlaması önerildi (Grup 2). Tedaviden 6 hafta sonra hastaların tümünde yeniden AR için semptom skorlaması yapıldı. Bir psikiyatrist nezaretinde hastalara Psikolojik Semptom Kontrol Listesi-90 (The Psychological Symptom Checklist-90; SCL-90), Beck Depresyon Envanteri (Beck Depression Inventory; BDI) ve Anksiyete Durum Envanteri (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory; STAI TX I ve TX II) uygulandı. Bulgular: Grup 1'de tedavi sonrası nazal ve nazal olmayan semptom skorları yedi semptomun her biri için tedavi öncesi skorlardan anlamlı derecede daha iyiydi (p=0.000). AR semptom skorlarıyla ortalama SCL-90 genel semptom skoru, SCL-90 altölçek skorları, total BDI skorları ve STAI skorları arasında anlamlı bir korelasyon bulunmadı (p>0.05). Sonuç: AR popülasyonunda psikosomatik faktör büyük önem taşıdığından bu çalışma antidepresan kullanımının tedaviye dirençli AR'de alerjik semptomları azalttığını akla getirmektedir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this case control study is to establish the influence of iris color and retina pigment epithelium melanin on allergic rhinitis. Methods: Ninety-nine subjects diagnosed prospectively as allergic rhinitis and 85 control subjects were included in the study. Color of iris was recorded after ophthalmic examination. Electro-oculographic measurement was done after pupil dilatation and Arden ratios were recorded. Results: Mean age was 29.44±9.8 years in subject with allergic rhinitis and 32.67±12.9 years in control subjects (p>0.05). Measured mean Arden ratio was 158.22±29.4 in subjects with allergic rhinitis and 179.34±29.3 in normal subjects (p<0.05). In control group, Arden ratio was significantly higher in eyes with brown iris (p<0.05). In subjects with allergic rhinitis, Arden ratio was significantly lower in brown eyes (p<0.05). Conclusion: An association between allergic rhinitis and melanin content of iris and retina pigment epithelium was found. It can be speculated that pigment-producing system may play a role in the pathogenesis of the allergic rhinitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Our aim was to investigate the prevalence and clinical features of allergic rhinitis in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Methods: This cross-sectional, clinical study was performed on 64 patients (24 females, 40 males) between October 2011 and November 2012. The Score for Allergic Rhinitis (SFAR) questionnaire was carried out to the patients with a recent diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis. Skin prick test was performed to the cases who responded positively to SFAR. Descriptive parameters, clinical features and skin prick test results were documented. Results: The mean age of the study group was 41.7±11.2. Eight patients (12.5%) were presumably diagnosed for allergic rhinitis according to SFAR questionnaire. Skin prick test yielded positivity for Dermatophagoides farinae and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus in one of the 8 cases who responded positively for SFAR. The most common symptoms were sneezing (n=15; 23.4%), nasal obstruction (n=12; 18.8%), and nasal itching (n=12; 18.8%). Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that prevalence of allergic rhinitis is lower in ankylosing spondylitis patients. However, clinical and pathophysiological features of allergic rhinitis accompanying autoimmune diseases must be investigated in further trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Recent studies point to a relationship between allergic diseases and vitamin D deficiency. This relationship seems to be associated with immune-modulator effects of the derivatives of vitamin D. However, there are limited number of studies on the relationship between allergic rhinitis and derivatives of vitamin D. We planned our study to investigate this issue. Methods: The study group was composed of 30 patients diagnosed with allergic rhinitis according to ARIA (Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma) Criteria. The control group included 30 patients of the same age and gender without any allergic rhinitis disease. The patients with an underlying disease which may cause deficiency of calcium and vitamin D were excluded. The significance of the difference between study and control groups in terms of serum 25-hydroxy (OH) vitamin D levels was also evaluated. Results: It was determined that the levels of vitamin D were within normal (10-90 ng/mL) limits in both groups. It was found out that the mean serum 25(OH)vitamin D level (15.39 ng/mL) of the study group was significantly lower than the control group (53.80 ng/mL) (p=0.00). No significant difference was found between the genders in terms of vitamin D levels (p=0.398). Conclusion: It is necessary to do more researches on the effects of vitamin D derivatives on allergic rhinitis. This study indicates that a vitamin D deficiency should be taken into consideration during the treatment for resistant allergic rhinitis patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]