Assessment of allergen-induced respiratory hyperresponsiveness before the prescription of a specific immunotherapy.

Background: Asymptomatic sensitization is a frequent condition that must be considered before the indication of allergic-specific immunotherapy.

Objective: The aim of this study was to appreciate and correlate the local and spirometric changes elicited by the allergen-specific nasal provocation test (NPT) to define practical and feasible guidelines for the allergist/immunologist to demonstrate specific respiratory hyperresponsiveness before the indication of allergic-specific immunotherapy.

Methods: A total of 172 subjects (children and adults) with a diagnosis of allergic rhinitis were submitted to flow-volume spirometry immediately before and after the NPT performed with Dermatophagoides antigens.

The nasal provocation test combined with spirometry establishes paradoxical vocal fold motion in allergic subjects.

Vocal cord dysfunction (also called paradoxical vocal cord motion) or paradoxical vocal fold motion (PVFM) is an event elicited by specific and nonspecific triggers in which its diagnosis is limited by the restricted number of available functional tests. This study was designed to appreciate the contribution of the spirometric changes elicited by the allergen-specific nasal provocation test (NPT) performed with Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus for the diagnosis of PVFM in subjects with known sensitization to this allergen. In total, 63 subjects with allergic rhinitis who had previously been shown to be sensitized to D.