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Biomedical subjects

R M Naclerio

Publications and source records attributed to R M Naclerio.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Histamine-containing cells obtained from the nose hours after antigen challenge have functional and phenotypic characteristics of basophils.

The pattern of mediators and appearance of cells that stain with alcian blue during human experimental early and late phase allergic reactions suggest that basophils accumulate in nasal secretions within hours of local Ag stimulation. To further explore whether the histamine containing cells that enter the nose after Ag challenge are mast cells or basophils, we studied their functional and phenotypic characteristics. Approximately 24 h after intranasal Ag provocation of subjects with allergic rhinitis, nasal lavage was performed, and the cells were isolated for degranulation studies, analysis of surface Ag, and viability. The average histamine content per alcian blue staining cell was 0.78 +/- 0.2 pg (n = 7), similar to that reported for peripheral blood basophils. Nasal cells were challenged in vitro with anti-IgE, ragweed Amb a I, and FMLP and their responses were compared to those of peripheral blood basophils isolated simultaneously from the same donors. Nasal leukocytes released histamine maximally at 0.1 micrograms/ml of anti-IgE (35.8 +/- 7.8%, n = 7) and responded to FMLP (25.4 +/- 9.9%, n = 7). The response of the cells to ragweed Amb a I and anti-IgE was attenuated compared to peripheral blood basophils. Anti-IgE-induced histamine release was calcium and temperature dependent. Dual color immunofluorescence and flow cytometric analysis of the recovered nasal cells coexpressed CD18, a leukocyte marker not expressed by mast cells. The nasal cells consistently had high levels of spontaneous histamine release (19.5 +/- 2.0%, n = 22). The viability of all cells, assessed by erythrosin B dye exclusion, was 70 +/- 2% (n = 15). However, the viability of IgE-bearing cells was only 28.3 +/- 5.7% (n = 4). The characteristics of histamine release and the nature of the cellular surface markers provide functional proof that the histamine-containing cells accumulating after nasal Ag challenge are basophils and not mast cells.

Adult

Respiratory compromise after adenotonsillectomy in children with obstructive sleep apnea.

A retrospective study of pediatric patients with obstructive sleep apnea who underwent adenotonsillectomy between 1987 and 1990 was undertaken to determine the frequency of postoperative respiratory compromise and to determine if risk factors for its development could be identified. Sixty-nine patients less than 18 years old had polysomnographically documented obstructive sleep apnea and were observed postoperatively in the pediatric intensive care unit. Of these, 16 (23%) had severe respiratory compromise, defined as intermittent or continuous oxygen saturation of 70% or less, and/or hypercapnia, requiring intervention. Compared with patients without respiratory compromise, these patients were younger (3.4 +/- 4 vs 6.1 +/- 4 years) and had more obstructive events per hour of sleep on the polysomnogram (49 +/- 41 vs 19 +/- 30). They were more likely to weight less than the fifth percentile for age (odds ratio [OR], 5.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4 to 18.7), to have an abnormal electrocardiogram and/or echocardiogram (OR, 4.5; 95% CI, 1.3 to 15.1), and to have a craniofacial abnormality (OR, 6.2; 95% CI, 1.5 to 26). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed the most significant risk factors were age below 3 years and an obstructive event index greater than 10. Children with obstructive sleep apnea are at risk for respiratory compromise following adenotonsillectomy; young age and severe sleep-related upper airway obstruction significantly increase this risk. We recommend in-hospital postoperative monitoring for children undergoing adenotonsillectomy for obstructive sleep apnea.

Adenoidectomy

Response of nasal mucosa to histamine or methacholine challenge: use of a quantitative method to examine the modulatory effects of atropine and ipratropium bromide.

We have developed a new technique for the direct local administration of test solutions to the nasal mucosa and for quantification of nasal secretory responses. This technique, a variation on several published reports of filter paper use, allows simple and rapid determination of drug effects and facilitates the analysis of ipsilateral and contralateral responses to local challenge of the nasal mucosa. We have used this technique to investigate the secretory responses of the nasal mucosa to methacholine and histamine and to determine the effects of atropine and ipratropium bromide (Atrovent nasal spray) on these secretory responses.

Atropine

Inhibition of mediator release during the early reaction to antigen.

A nasal lavage model and a new filter paper disk model have been used to measure biologic and physiologic responses to antigen challenge in patients with allergic rhinitis. Pretreatment of subjects with cetirizine reduced the number of sneezes induced by antigen challenge but did not significantly reduce levels of histamine or prostaglandin D2 in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with the lavage model. Pretreatment with 60 or 300 mg of terfenadine did significantly reduce levels of histamine, kinin, albumin, and TAME-esterase activity in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study with this model. Again with the nasal lavage model, a double-blind, placebo-controlled comparison of pretreatment with 60 mg of terfenadine or 10 mg of loratadine showed that both agents significantly reduced sneezing. Both drugs also lowered levels of antigen-induced histamine and TAME-esterase, but only terfenadine did so significantly. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, the new disk method showed that terfenadine reduced sneezing but not nasal congestion in eight patients with allergic rhinitis. Terfenadine significantly reduced the weight of nasal secretions on both sides of the nose and significantly reduced histamine on the ipsilateral side.

Albumins

Anatomic and physiologic considerations in sinusitis.

The anatomy and physiology of the nose, the paranasal sinuses, and related structures are of major importance in understanding sinusitis. A brief description of the airflow, blood flow, nasal cycle, histology and the developmental anatomy are given. These elements combine to condition inhaled air by warming, humidifying, and filtering it. An important mechanism for understanding sinusitis is mucociliary clearance. The nasal cavity and the paranasal sinuses are covered by a pseudostratified, columnar, ciliated epithelium with a thin mucous layer on top of it. In the sinuses the beat of the cilia is directed toward their natural ostia. The ostia of most of the paranasal sinuses lead into the region of the middle meatus and the anterior ethmoid, the osteomeatal complex. Obstruction in this area reduces clearance and plays a major role in the pathophysiology of sinusitis.

Humans

Complications of sinusitis.

Even though they seldomly occur, the complications of sinusitis may be life-threatening. Complications can be local, orbital, and intracranial problems or combinations thereof. Orbital complications are the most frequent, and children with acute ethmoiditis are especially prone to them. To prevent permanent loss of vision, immediate and intense therapy is most important. Intracranial complications can have few symptoms, and discordance between symptoms and severity is not uncommon, which involves the importance of early radiologic diagnosis with computed tomographic or magnetic resonance imaging scans. Orbital and intracranial complications of sinusitis are medical emergencies and must be treated by specialists. Whenever possible, the underlying sinus infection should be drained at the same time. All physicians treating acute and chronic sinusitis must keep the potentially life-threatening complications of sinusitis in mind and remain suspicious because early recognition and treatment are crucial in these cases.

Acute Disease

Ipratropium bromide (Atrovent nasal spray) reduces the nasal response to methacholine.

We investigated the efficacy of local ipratropium bromide on methacholine-induced nasal secretions in a double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment. Twenty subjects with perennial rhinitis received a total intranasal dose of 21, 42, 84, and 168 micrograms of ipratropium bromide or placebo in each nostril. One hour later, filter paper disks were used to deliver increasing doses of methacholine and to collect secretions from the left septum. Concomitantly, symptoms of rhinorrhea and nasal congestion were scored. Compared with doses of placebo, all doses of ipratropium bromide significantly reduced the methacholine-induced increase in nasal secretion weights and symptoms of rhinorrhea (p less than 0.01). The highest dose was significantly more effective than the lower doses in reducing secretion weights (p = 0.01). We speculate that ipratropium bromide may prove beneficial for the treatment of rhinorrhea in perennial rhinitis. Furthermore, increasing the delivered dose to 168 micrograms may increase efficacy without augmenting side effects.

Adult

Tryptase and histamine as markers to evaluate mast cell activation during the responses to nasal challenge with allergen, cold, dry air, and hyperosmolar solutions.

We have used assays for histamine and for the specific mast cell enzyme, tryptase, to examine the response of the nasal mucosa to provocation with several different stimuli and to evaluate the reliability of histamine as a marker of mast cell activation. High levels of histamine detected in baseline lavages of some subjects are not associated with any detectable tryptase, suggesting they are not mast cell derived. During pronounced immediate allergic responses, however, mast cell degranulation clearly occurs, and a striking correlation between histamine and tryptase is observed. This correlation is weaker when a more modest allergic response is induced, possibly reflecting differential diffusion of the two mediators across the epithelium. Provocation of susceptible individuals with cold, dry air leads to increased recoveries of both histamine and tryptase, confirming that mast cell degranulation occurs during this reaction. Although hyperosmolarity of the nasal mucosa may contribute to mast cell degranulation induced by cold, dry air, a brief exposure of the nasal cavity to hyperosmolar mannitol was not associated with measurable production of tryptase. The combined use of histamine and tryptase measurements can therefore provide useful evidence regarding the role of mast cell activation in the pathogenesis of inflammatory responses.

Adult

Quantitative IgE- and IgG-subclass responses during and after long-term ragweed immunotherapy.

We studied the quantitative responses of short ragweed (RW)-pollen-specific serum antibodies in 22 patients with RW immunotherapy (IT) and in a different set of 31 patients, 16 of whom stopped RW IT after more than 5 years of treatment. Serum was assayed before and after season, 1 year before and 1 and 2 years after starting IT, and 1 year and 2 years after stopping IT. RW pan-IgG, RW IgG1, and RW IgG4 were measured by ELISA, and RW IgE by RAST. Absolute quantities of RW IgG1 and RW IgG4 in reference sera were estimated by least-squares multiple regression analysis of 223 sera with the equation RW pan-IgG = RW IgG1 + RW IgG4. IgG1 is dominant in the early immune response of IT and disappears relatively slowly when IT is stopped. In contrast, IgG4 appears in significant quantities only after prolonged IT and disappears rapidly when IT is stopped. The apparent average half-life of RW IgG4 (9 months) was significantly shorter than that of RW IgG1 (29 months) (p less than 0.001). Before IT, mean RW IgE rose 180% (p less than 0.01) during the RW pollination season (August to November). This seasonal rise in RW IgE was ablated after IT from 1 year up to 8 years, but returned the year after IT was stopped. After 2 years of IT, the RW IgG1 and IgG4 levels were significantly correlated with RW IgE (r = 0.94 and 0.81; p = 0.0001 and 0.005).

Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic

Intranasal beclomethasone inhibits antigen-induced nasal hyperresponsiveness to histamine.

To determine whether intranasal steroid treatment inhibits the increased sensitivity to histamine that occurs 24 hours after nasal antigen challenge, 12 allergic volunteers were entered into a double-blind study comparing placebo or 164 micrograms of beclomethasone dipropionate twice a day for 7 days. Beclomethasone dipropionate partially reduced the early mediator response to antigen and the influx of eosinophils 24 hours later. Comparing the initial histamine challenge with that done 24 hours after antigen with the subjects on placebo, there was a significant increase in sneezes, TAME-esterase activity, and albumin. Pretreatment with intranasal beclomethasone dipropionate resulted in a reduced response to histamine 24 hours after antigen challenge. A positive correlation occurred between the number of eosinophils in the lavage before histamine challenge and the level of TAME-esterase activity (rs = 0.67, p = 0.03) during the histamine challenge that followed antigen with the subjects on placebo. We thus confirmed the increase in nonspecific nasal airway responsiveness 24 hours after antigen challenge, with a concomitant increase in eosinophils, and demonstrate its inhibition by pretreatment with intranasal steroids.

Administration, Intranasal

The nasal response to histamine challenge: effect of the pollen season and immunotherapy.

To evaluate changes in the nasal response to histamine, we challenged 19 subjects with allergic rhinitis caused by ragweed (RW) before, during, and after the RW season with increasing doses of histamine diphosphate. We compared their response, as measured by symptoms and the levels of TAME-esterase activity and albumin recovered in the nasal lavage fluid, with response of two groups with allergic rhinitis undergoing immunotherapy with moderate-dose (N = 16) and high-dose (N = 11) RW (2 and 24 micrograms of antigen E [Amb a I] as maintenance dose, respectively). Four challenges with histamine were performed in each group: before, at the peak of, near the end of, and 2 weeks after the RW season. The three groups of subjects had similar skin sensitivity to antigen and levels of TAME-esterase activity and albumin recovered from nasal lavages after histamine challenge performed before seasonal exposure. Symptom diaries obtained throughout the season revealed a significant reduction only in the high-dose immunotherapy-treated group. At the peak of the season, the untreated group had more symptoms in response to the challenge compared with the challenges before and after the season (p = 0.04 for both groups). The saline challenge occurring before challenging with histamine also demonstrated a significant increase at the peak of the season compared with increases before the season (p = 0.02). This observation was also true for the levels of albumin and TAME-esterase activity. If the response after saline challenge was subtracted from each response after histamine challenge, no difference was found in the results between any of the visits.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult

The effect of azelastine on the early allergic response.

To study the effect of azelastine on the immediate reaction to nasal allergen challenge, we performed a double blind, placebo-controlled cross-over clinical trial. Thirteen subjects with seasonal allergic rhinitis underwent nasal challenge with antigen 4 hr after a single oral 2 mg dose of azelastine. The response was monitored by counting the number of sneezes and by measuring the levels of histamine, prostaglandin D2, immunoreactive sulphidopeptide leukotrienes, kinis and TAME-esterase activity in recovered nasal lavages. After a single dose of azelastine, there was a significant reduction in sneezing (10 vs 2, P = 0.01) and in the median levels of recovered TAME-esterase activity (63.1 vs 17.5 c.p.m. x 10(-3), P = 0.01), immunoreactive sulphidopeptide leukotrienes (7.5 vs 2.1 ng/ml, P = 0.03) and kinins (1370 vs 251 pg/ml, P = 0.03), with no significant reduction in the median levels of histamine (3.7 vs 1.2 ng/ml, P = 0.2) and prostaglandin D2 (70 vs 70 pg/ml, P = 0.2) compared to placebo (numbers represent total increase over diluent challenge). These results suggest that azelastine does not inhibit mast cell activation but affects the consequences of released histamine, namely sneezing, increased vascular permeability and the generation of kinins. The results further suggest that other cells, in addition to mast cells, might be responsible for the generation of leukotrienes during the early allergic response, and that azelastine reduces their ability to generate this mediator or that inhibition of leukotriene release from mast cells occurs at lower drug concentrations.

Adult

Local application of atropine attenuates the upper airway reaction to cold, dry air.

In some individuals, inhalation of cold, dry air (CDA) provokes symptoms of rhinitis, accompanied by an increase in the levels of inflammatory mediators and markers of plasma leakage of recovered nasal lavages. Because rhinorrhea is a major component of this reaction and because nasal glands are heavily innervated by the parasympathetic system, we assessed the effect of atropine on the nasal reaction to CDA. Using a double-blind, randomized, crossover design, we administered a total dose of 0.5 mg of atropine or placebo intranasally to 18 volunteers before provocation with CDA. The reaction was monitored with symptom scores and by measuring the concentrations of histamine, N-alpha-p-tosyl-L-arginine methyl ester (TAME)-esterase activity and albumin, as well as the osmolality of lavage fluids before and after the provocation. Atropine significantly reduced rhinorrhea, the levels of histamine, and TAME-esterase activity as well as the osmolality of recovered lavage fluids, but had no effect on nasal congestion or albumin. Even with atropine, however, rhinorrhea and TAME-esterase activity were still significantly increased over the prechallenge baseline. Our results demonstrate that atropine-sensitive parasympathetic efferent pathways contribute to the CDA-induced rhinitis. We speculate that (1) the glandular and the vascular events of the upper airway reaction to dry air have different pathophysiologic mechanisms; (2) a significant component of TAME-esterase activity in lavage fluids may be of glandular origin; and (3) in addition to parasympathetic nerve activation, other mechanisms are involved in the upper airway reaction to dry air. The mechanism(s) leading to the reduction of histamine is unknown.

Administration, Intranasal

Tympanostomy tube insertion: anterosuperior vs. anteroinferior quadrant.

We studied the extrusion rate of Paparella type I tympanostomy tubes in the anterosuperior quadrant compared to those placed in the anteroinferior quadrant in a prospective study. Thirty-five patients were evaluated. The duration (mean +/- SEM) in the anteroinferior quadrant was 211 +/- 18 days, whereas the duration in the anterosuperior quadrant was 211 +/- 11 days. We conclude that placement in the anterosuperior quadrant does not prolong duration of these tympanostomy tubes.

Acute Disease

Evaluation of a bedtime dose of a combination antihistamine/analgesic/decongestant product on antigen challenge the next morning.

The effects of CAAD (diphenhydramine hydrochloride, 50 mg; pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, 60 mg; acetaminophen, 1 g in 10% ethanol) were evaluated in a double-blind, three-way, placebo-controlled, cross-over study on 18 volunteers with allergic rhinitis. The number of sneezes following nasal challenge with antigen was significantly reduced after a bed-time dose of CAAD (P less than .005) and a single dose of diphenhydramine (P less than .001) given 2 hours before the challenge. The levels of N-alpha-tosyl-L-arginine methyl ester (TAME) activity decreased after diphenhydramine treatment, while histamine levels following challenge were not different. The drowsiness reported after CAAD was equal to placebo, but significantly less than diphenhydramine (P less than .002 for both). The active treatments reduced the actions of histamine without suppressing its release from mast cells. The effect of CAAD persists 10 hours after administration without inducing drowsiness.

Acetaminophen