Mediator release after nasal airway challenge with allergen

An in vivo model of human allergic disease has been developed in which nasal challenge with antigen leads to physiologic changes, together with a release of increased amounts of inflammatory mediators into nasal secretions obtained by washing the nose with saline. In 105 experiments involving 35 subjects, only allergic subjects consistently demonstrated an increase in the concentrations of the mast cell mediator, histamine, and the putative mast cell mediators, TAME-esterase and PGD₂. The release of each mediator was significantly (p < 0.001) related to the physiologic change (sneezing). The release of each mediator also correlated significantly with the release of the other 2 mediators (p < 0.001). This system, for the first time, clearly relates an in vivo symptom and mediator release and thus should provide an excellent tool for the further study of the allergic response and nasal pathophysiology.