Nasal Ciliary Beat Frequency after Nasal Allergen Challenge

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Abstract
The aim of this study was to estimate nasal ciliary beat frequency (CBF) before and after nasal allergen challenge. Patients were challenged with Pharmalgen D Pteronyssinus or grass pollen. The nasal reaction was measured with active anterior rhinomanometry and visual analog scale. CBF was measured by a photometric technique, on nasal specimens obtained with a brush from the inferior turbinate before and 20 minutes after challenge. A positive response to nasal challenge was seen in 12 patients and associated with a decrease in CBF in all but one patient. The CBF mean value for this group fell from 13.1 (±1.9) Hz to 11.5 (±1.8) Hz (p < .01). In another 11 patients where the challenge was negative, there was a tendency to increased CBF after challenge, 14.1 (±2.1) Hz before and 14.8 (±2.1) Hz after (p = .07). Thus, in this study CBF was decreased when an allergic reaction was provoked and, in contrast, moderately increased after a negative challenge. In a nasal allergic reaction it is possible that decreased mucociliary function contributes to nasal obstruction and decreased ventilation of the sinuses.