Cytometry of nasal secretory eosinophilia

: Nasal secretory eosinophilia was evaluated in inflammatory chronic rhinitis by a cytometric method. Thirteen control subjects and 97 patients (nasal polyps = 44; chronic sinusitis = 26; chronic rhinitis = 27) took part in this study. Secretory eosinophilia was low in the control group (0.3 +/- 0.2 to 1.3 + 0.8%), compared to: 13.8 +/- 8.2 to 15 +/- 7.6% in idiopathic chronic rhinitis, 16.3 +/- 7.3 to 22.7 +/- 10.2% in perennial allergic rhinitis, 18.5 +/- 6 to 25.3 +/- 6.1% in nasal polyps, 23.1 +/- 1.1 to 25.9 +/- 8.6% in nasal polyps with asthma, 27.3 +/- 7.1 to 30.3 +/- 7.8% in aspirin triad. The NARES syndrome was clearly individualized with a secretory eosinophilia between 48 +/- 16.9 and 58.8 +/- 10.7%. Nasal cytometry is a new method that confirms the role of secretory eosinophilia as an interesting marker in the study of inflammatory chronic rhinitis. Nevertheless reference values would be established only after a better knowledge of cell kinetics in nasal secretion under normal and pathological conditions.