Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Sep;62(9):353-359.
doi: 10.3345/kjp.2019.00318. Epub 2019 Apr 24.

Nasal eosinophilia and eosinophil peroxidase in children and adolescents with rhinitis

Yeonu Choi  1 , Haeun Jeon  1 , Eun Ae Yang  1 , Jong-Seo Yoon  1 , Hyun Hee Kim  1
Affiliations

Nasal eosinophilia and eosinophil peroxidase in children and adolescents with rhinitis

Yeonu Choi et al. Korean J Pediatr. 2019 Sep.

Abstract

Background: Researchers have shown that eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) is a relatively accurate marker of eosinophilia and eosinophil activity. However, its use as a marker of eosinophilic inflammation in nasal secretions is limited because the diagnostic cutoff values of EPO for use as a one-time test for allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis have not been established.

Purpose: To identify the correlation between nasal eosinophil count and EPO in children and adolescents with rhinitis.

Methods: We recruited patients <18 years of age with rhinitis for more than 2 weeks or more than 2 episodes a year whose nasal eosinophil and EPO were measured at a single allergy clinic. The eosinophil percentage was calculated by dividing the eosinophil count by the number of total cells under light microscopy at ×1,000 magnification. EPO and protein were measured from nasal secretions. We retrospectively analyzed the correlation between nasal eosinophils and protein-corrected EPO (EPO/protein) value.

Results: Of the 67 patients enrolled, 41 were male (61.2%); the mean age was 8.2±4.0 years. The median nasal eosinophil count was 1 and percentage was 1%. The median protein-corrected EPO value was 12.5 ng/μg (range, 0-31 ng/μg). There was a statistically significant correlation between eosinophil count and percentage (P<0.001). However, the eosinophil percentage and EPO did not correlate. The eosinophil count and EPO had a statistically significant correlation (P =0.01). The EPO cutoff value examined for nasal eosinophil counts of 2, 5, 10, and 20 was 17.57 ng/μg regardless of the reference count. The largest area under the curve value was obtained when the receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn using the eosinophil count of 2.

Conclusion: Nasal eosinophil count was significantly associated with protein-corrected EPO.

Keywords: Child; Eosinophil; Eosinophil peroxidase; Rhinitis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Correlation between nasal eosinophil count and nasal eosinophil percentage (n=67). HPF, high-power field.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Correlation between nasal eosinophil percentage and protein-corrected eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) value (EPO/protein; n=67). HPF, high-power field.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Correlation between nasal eosinophil count and protein-corrected eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) value (EPO/protein; n=67). HPF, high-power field.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4.
Receiver operating characteristic curve of the eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) values according to the following numbers of nasal eosinophils: 2 (A), 5 (B), 10 (C), and 20 (D).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Kariyawasam HH, Robinson DS. The eosinophil: the cell and its weapons, the cytokines, its locations. Semin Respir Crit Care Med. 2006;27:117–27. - PubMed
    1. Gleich GJ. Mechanisms of eosinophil-associated inflammation. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2000;105:651–63. - PubMed
    1. Kay AB. Allergy and allergic diseases. First of two parts. N Engl J Med. 2001;344:30–7. - PubMed
    1. Ahmadiafshar A, Taghiloo D, Esmailzadeh A, Falakaflaki B. Nasal eosinophilia as a marker for allergic rhinitis: a controlled study of 50 patients. Ear Nose Throat J. 2012;91:122–4. - PubMed
    1. Lans DM, Alfano N, Rocklin R. Nasal eosinophilia in allergic and nonallergic rhinitis: usefulness of the nasal smear in the diagnosis of allergic rhinitis. Allergy Proc. 1989;10:275–80. - PubMed