[Diagnosis of allergic rhinitis by determining of tryptase and eosinophil cationic protein in nasal secretions].

In the last years, the role of nasal mast cells and the eosinophils in the immediate hypersensitivity reaction of allergic rhinitis has been well documented. Tryptase and the eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) are specific activation markers for mast cells and esosinophils respectively. To determine the possible diagnostic value of these markers in allergic rhinitis we measured the levels in both serum and native nasal fluid using sandwich RIA-assays. Twenty eight seasonal allergic patients (16 with active allergy and 12 with extraseasonal allergy) and 11 patients with chronic sinusitis were studied. Twenty one normal healthy donors served as controls. We could not detect increased levels of tryptase and ECP in the serum of all patients and healthy donors. In contrast, patients with active allergy showed very higher levels of ECP than patients of the three other groups. Similarly, nasal ECP was higher in patients with nasal pathology than in healthy subjects. The highest levels were found in the patients with active allergic rhinitis. Our results show that both native nasal fluid tryptase and ECP can be used as markers of local inflammation and that the assessment of their levels can be useful in the diagnosis and follow up of mucosal inflammation in the nose.