Nickel R, Lau S, Niggemann B, Sommerfeld C, Wahn U, Bauer CP, Bergmann KE et al. (2002): Comparison of bronchial responsiveness to histamine in asthma, allergic rhinitis and allergic sensitization at the age of 7 years
Clin. Exp. Allergy 32 (9): 1274-1277.

Background. Bronchial responsiveness (BR) to histamine or methacholin is a common finding in adult non-asthmatic patients with allergic rhinitis. Objective. We tested whether BR is also present in children with a comparatively short history of allergic rhinitis in a paediatric cohort. Methods. We performed pulmonary function tests and histamine challenges in a total of 654 children (age 7 years, participants of the German Multicenter Allergy Study) and compared PC20FEV1 values in children with asthma, allergic rhinitis, asymptomatic allergic sensitization and nonatopic controls. Results. Most pronounced BR to histamine was observed in allergic asthmatics (n = 28), irrespective of the presence or absence of allergic rhinitis. Furthermore, PC20FEV1 values in non-asthmatic children with allergic rhinitis (n = 24) were not significantly different from those seen in asymptomatic atopic (n = 54) or non-atopic controls (n = 92). Conclusions. In contrast to adult study populations, 7-year-old non-asthmatic children with allergic rhinitis do not show a higher degree of BR than asymptomatic atopic or non-atopic controls. Therefore, secondary preventive measures in non-asthmatic children with allergic rhinitis (such as regular local anti-inflammatory therapy or specific immunotherapy) should be studied and applied more intensely to prevent bronchial hyper-responsiveness (BHR) and asthma in this high-risk group.