Immunoglobulin concentrations in nasal secretions differ between patients with an IgE-mediated rhinopathy and a non-IgE-mediated rhinopathy.

Nasal secretions from patients with an IgE-mediated rhinopathy, patients with a non-IgE-mediated rhinopathy, and healthy control subjects were collected with a newly developed direct aspiration system. Total protein, albumin, secretory IgA (sIgA), IgE, IgG, and IgM concentrations were measured in the nasal secretions to detect whether the nasal pathology is reflected in nasal secretion protein concentrations. It was found that protein and immunoglobulin concentrations in nasal secretions were inversely related to amount of secretion in the nasal cavity. Both patients' groups had a significantly higher sIgA to protein ratio than the healthy control subjects. Furthermore, patients with an IgE-mediated rhinopathy had significantly higher sIgA and IgM to total protein ratios in their nasal secretions than patients with a non-IgE-mediated rhinopathy. Probably these differences are due to changes in immunoregulation.