Background: Allergen identification is the first step for allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) of allergic rhinitis (AR). Currently, the diagnosis of AR is based mainly on the positive results of the skin prick test (SPT) and/or serum specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) measurement. However, the results of these two tests may not always directly correlate with AR.
Objective: To investigate the importance of nasal provocation testing (NPT) in the diagnosis of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p)-induced AR.
Methods: Rhinitis patients willing to undergo AIT (n = 171) were enrolled. The correlations of Der p SPT, sIgE, NPT, and clinical symptom severity were assessed.
Results: NPT-positive responses were more common in patients with higher SPT and sIgE levels. The optimal cut-off value for a NPT-positive response for SPT was 5.5 mm and for sIgE was 2.77 kUA/L, based on the respective receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The area under the curve (AUC) of the ROCs was 0.814 (SPT only) and 0.794 (sIgE only) and increased to 0.828 with the combination of SPT and sIgE. The Der p-NPT concentration was inversely correlated with SPT and sIgE levels (r = -0.477, P < .001, and r = -0.461, P < .001, respectively), but none was correlated with the total nasal symptom score.
Conclusion: For patients who are willing to receive Der p AIT, NPT is a useful and safe test to confirm diagnosis prior to treatment initiation, especially in patients with lower levels of Der p SPT (< 5.5 mm) or sIgE (< 2.77 kUA/L).
Keywords: Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus; allergic rhinitis; nasal provocation testing; serum-specific IgE; skin prick test.