Abstract
Allergic rhinitis (AR) may be frequently associated with asthma or precede it. Bronchial involvement in AR is usually detected by spirometry. Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV(1)) is considered a reliable parameter for asthma diagnosis. However, forced expiratory flow at 25-75% (FEF(25-75)) could be considered a possible marker of early bronchial involvement in AR; indeed, it has been proposed that FEF(25-75) values <70% of predicted may predict this evolution. The aim of this study was to evaluate a large cohort of children with AR to define an FEV(1) value corresponding to impaired FEF(25-75) values. Eight hundred fifty AR children (555 boys; median age, 10 years) were studied. Spirometry and skin-prick test were performed in all of them. Descriptive statistic and multivariate analysis were considered. Three-hundred (35.3%) patients had FEF(25-75) values <70% of predicted. Still, normal FEV(1) values were associated with overt impaired FEF(25-75) values and the cutoff value was 83%. Spirometry should be adequately interpreted in AR patients; indeed, an FEV(1) cutoff value of 83% detects with good efficiency AR children with early bronchial impairment.
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