Nasal effects of environmental tobacco smoke exposure in children with allergic rhinitis

Objectives

Tobacco smoke exposure is associated with inflammatory changes in the respiratory system including nasal mucosa. Our aim was to demonstrate nasal mucosal inflammation such as neutrophilic activation and epithelial permeability in patients with allergic rhinitis with exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and reveal its effect on allergic rhinitis symptoms.

Methods

We enrolled 204 subjects with allergic rhinitis to this cross-sectional study. Sociodemographic and AR clinical characteristics were recorded. Urinary cotinine levels >50 ng/ml were defined as exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke. Club cell 16 (CC16) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels were measured in the nasal lavage fluid. Levels of these biomarkers and clinical severity were compared between ETS exposed and non-exposed children with AR.

Results

Among 204 children enrolled, 53 (26 %) had ETS exposure. Mean age of the ETS exposed group was significantly higher than the unexposed group (12.1 ± 3.5 and 10.7 ± 3.6 years respectively, (p = 0.02). Similarly, T5SS score was significantly higher in ETS exposure group (9.3 vs 8.3, p = 0.03) but this significance was lost when corrected for age. Age and T5SS were inversely correlated with MPO levels (r = −0,24, p < 0.001 and r = −0,14, p = 0.04). Nasal lavage CC-16 and MPO levels were not found to be significantly different among subjects with and without ETS exposure (p = 0.13 and p = 0.26 respectively).

Conclusion

Our results demonstrated that ETS exposure is associated with more persistent AR in children. However, it is not related to severity or nasal lavage MPO or CC16 levels. Rhinitis symptoms beyond allergen period suggests isolated smoke exposure effect.