Évaluation clinique de l’efficacité d’un masque chirurgical dans la réduction des symptômes d’asthme et de rhinite, chez des sujets allergiques au pollen de bouleau dans la chambre d’exposition environnementale ALYATEC

Abstract

Aim of the studyCurrently, there is no clinical evidence that face masks are efficient in birch pollen-induced asthma. As the use of face masks has become widespread worldwide to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2, it was chosen to demonstrate the clinical efficacy of medical masks in patients allergic to birch in the same way that clinical trial with drugs. Patients and methods24 birch-related asthmatic patients, were exposed to 60ng/m3 of airborne Bet v 1 in ALYATEC environmental exposure chamber. All patients had positive skin prick tests and specific IgE to birch at screening visit. Patients with asthma response during 1-hour baseline exposure were randomized into 2 groups: with and without a KOLMI® surgical face mask (OP-Air), for a 6-hour exposure to birch allergen. ResultsThe median time to obtain an early asthma response in the group without mask was 37minutes, and 67min in the group with mask (P=0.219). At 1 hour-exposure, patients with masks still present in the environmental exposure chamber was twice as much as the group without masks. ConclusionThis pilot study showed a tendency of face masks to increase the time to develop allergic symptoms.