Complement activation in the nasal mucosa following nasal ragweed-allergen challenge

• Published in: Pediatric allergy and immunology Vol. 12; no. 4; pp. 201 - 207
• Main Authors: Mezei, Györgyi, Varga, Lilian, Veres, Amarilla, Füst, George, Cserháti, Endre
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Copenhagen, Denmark Munksgaard International Publishers 01.08.2001; Blackwell
• Subjects: Allergens - immunology; Allergic diseases; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Proteins - drug effects; Blood Proteins - metabolism; Complement Activation; Eosinophil Granule Proteins; Eosinophils - immunology; Eosinophils - metabolism; Female; Humans; Hypersensitivity - immunology; Immunopathology; Male; Medical sciences; nasal challenge; nasal lavage fluid; Nasal Lavage Fluid - chemistry; Nasal Lavage Fluid - immunology; Nasal Mucosa - immunology; Nasal Provocation Tests; Neutrophils - immunology; Neutrophils - metabolism; ragweed allergy; Respiratory and ent allergic diseases; Ribonucleases; Sneezing - drug effects; Sneezing - immunology; Human; Immunopathology; Allergy; Nose disease; Rhinitis; Pathogenesis; Secretion; Activation; Complement; Intranasal administration; Ragweed; Adolescent; ENT disease; Allergen; Provocation test
• ISSN: 0905-6157; 1399-3038
• DOI: 10.1034/j.1399-3038.2001.012004201.x

The aim of this study was to explore complement activation in the nasal lavage following a nasal ragweed‐allergen challenge. The study was carried out with 15 adolescents who were allergic to ragweed and with six non‐allergic healthy volunteers. Following the baseline measurement after the symptoms were registered, subjects were given increasing doses of ragweed allergen. Lavage fluid was collected and tested for a complement‐activation product (C3bBbP). The allergic patients responded to allergen provocation with an increase in C3bBbP formation compared to the initial lavage (p = 0.001). The C3bBbP level remained low in the lavage fluids of the non‐allergic controls. We found a strong correlation between the threshold dose that induced symptoms and the dose where the maximum complement activation was detected (r = 0.78, p = 0.001). Our findings indicate that in allergic patients nasal challenge with ragweed allergen induces a rise in complement activation in the nasal lavage fluid. These results highlight the role of the complement system in the allergic inflammation on the nasal mucosal surface.