ABSTRACT
The prevalence of allergic rhinitis is staggering; it is the most common immunological disease and also the most common chronic disease experienced by humans. Clues to the allergic nature of the disease, and to the underlying causes, can be ascertained by the periodicity of the symptoms, precipitating events or exposures, and what helps the patient treat the symptoms. The development of sensitivity to an offending allergen requires the synthesis of IgE antibodies directed at the antigenic epitope. Once sufficient exposure to allergen has resulted in increased IgE production with sensitization of mast cells, subsequent exposure to allergen can elicit an allergic response. The work on nasal airway hyperreactivity has indicated that allergic rhinitis subjects always have increased cholinergic responsiveness and that antigen causes increased reactivity to histamine and other vasoactive amines. The experiment suggesting that neuropeptides might play a role in rhinitis involves the treatment of vasomotor rhinitis.
