ACMJ
Anatolian Current Medical Journal

Anatolian Current Medical Journal (ACMJ) is an unbiased, peer-reviewed, and open access international medical journal. The Journal publishes interesting clinical and experimental research conducted in all fields of medicine, interesting case reports, and clinical images, invited reviews, editorials, letters, comments, and related knowledge.

eISSN: 2718-0115
Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International License.
EndNote Style

Submit Manuscript

Index
Original Article
Evaluation of children with allergic and non-allergic rhinitis and the effect of obesity/overweight in patients with allergic rhinitis
Abstract
Aims: Allergic rhinitis (AR) and obesity are two of the most prevalent chronic health diseases in children. This report aims to investigate to types of allergic and non-allergic rhinitis (NAR) and the association between the frequency and severity of rhinitis symptoms in AR patients with and without overweight/obesity.
Methods: Patients aged 5-18 years with rhinitis symptoms who were referred to Sincan Training and Research Hospital pediatric immunology and allergy outpatient clinic were retrospectively evaluated. Demographic, clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients were recorded.
Results: The study included 385 children with a median age of 11 years (IQR8-14) (53.5% males). 31 (8.1%) of patients had atopic dermatitis and 22 (5.7 %) of patients had asthma. 283 (73.5%) patients were in the AR group. Total IgE level and eosinophil count were found significantly higher in AR group [256 (113-995) vs. 280 (160-480)] than NAR group [64 (25.5-210) vs. 170 (90-310)] (p=0.002 vs. p=<0.001). 61.3 % of patients were sensitized to grass pollen, 21% to cat, and 9.9% to house dust-mite. The number of patients with moderate-to-severe rhinitis were higher in AR group (65%) compared to NAR group (35%) (p=0.005). Nasal congestion (77.7%), sneezing (75.3%), rhinorrhea (42.6%) were more common symptoms. Postnasal drip, snoring-mouth breathing and adenoid hypertrophy were more common in the NAR group compared to AR group (p=0.011, p=0.013 and p<0.001, respectively). Among patients with AR, there were 79 (28%) patients with overweight/obesity. The rate of moderate-to-severe rhinitis was 68.4% in obese/overweight group and 63.7% in the non-obese/overweight group.
Conclusion: Our study found that moderate-to-severe rhinitis was higher in the AR group than the NAR group. No difference was found between the frequency and severity of rhinitis symptoms and aeroallergen sensitivities in patients with and without obesity/overweight.

Keywords : Rhinitis, allergic, severity, children, obesity

Download Article


1. Liva GA, Karatzanis AD, Prokopakis EP. Review of rhinitis: classification, types, pathophysiology. J Clin Med. 2021;10(14):3183. doi: 10.3390/jcm10143183
2. Papadopoulos NG, Guibas GV. Rhinitis subtypes, endotypes, and definitions. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am. 2016;36(2):215-233. doi:10. 1016/j.iac.2015.12.001
3. &Ouml;zdemir &Ouml;, Elmas B. New Developments in the diagnosis and therapy of allergic rhinitis. Asthma Allergy Immunol. 2022;15(1):001-016. doi:10. 21911/aai.5033
4. Reyes-Angel J, Kaviany P, Rastogi D, Forno E. Obesity-related asthma in children and adolescents. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2022;6(10):713-724. doi:10.1016/S2352-4642(22)00185-7
5. Permaul P, Kanchongkittiphon W, Phipatanakul W. Childhood asthma and obesity&mdash;what is the true link? Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2014; 113(3):244-246. doi:10.1016/j.anai.2014.07.001
6. Vatankhah V, Khazraei H, Iranpoor H, Lotfizadeh M. Impact of high body-mass index on allergic rhinitis patients. Revue Fran&ccedil;aise d&#39;Allergologie. 2017;57(5):370-374. doi:10.1016/j.reval.2017.05.001
7. Han Y-Y, Forno E, Gogna M, Celed&oacute;n JC. Obesity and rhinitis in a nationwide study of children and adults in the United States. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2016;137(5):1460-1465. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2015.12.1307
8. Fantuzzi G. Adipose tissue, adipokines, and inflammation. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2005;115(5):911-920. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2005.02.023
9. Ciprandi G, Caimmi D, Raschetti R, et al. Adipokines and their role in allergies. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 2011;24(4 Suppl):13-16. doi:10. 1177/03946320110240S403
10. Hersoug LG, Linneberg A. The link between the epidemics of obesity and allergic diseases: does obesity induce decreased immune tolerance? Allergy. 2007;62(10):1205-1213. doi:10.1111/j.1398-9995.2007.01506.x
11. Zmora N, Bashiardes S, Levy M, Elinav E. The role of the immune system in metabolic health and disease. Cell Metab. 2017;25(3):506-521. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2017.02.006
12. Hellings PW, Klimek L, Cingi C, et al. Non-allergic rhinitis: position paper of the European Academy of allergy and clinical immunology. Allergy. 2017;72(11):1657-1665. doi:10.1111/all.13200
13. Bousquet J, Van Cauwenberge P, Khaltaev N. Allergic rhinitis and its impact on asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2001;108(5 Suppl):S147-S334. doi:10.1067/mai.2001.118891
14. Cavkaytar O, Buyuktiryaki B, Sag E, Soyer O, Sekerel BE. What we miss if standard panel is used for skin prick testing? Asian Pac J Allergy Immunol. 2015;33(3):211-221. doi:10.12932/AP0564.33.3.2015
15. Şahiner UM, Civelek E, Yavuz ST, B&uuml;y&uuml;ktiryaki AB, Tuncer A, Şekerel BE. Skin prick testing to aeroallergen extracts: what is the optimal panel in children and adolescents in Turkey? Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2012; 157(4):391-398. doi:10.1159/000329870
16. AnthroPlus WHO (World Health Organization) for personal computers. 2009. mamaproject.org
17. Settipane RA. Demographics and epidemiology of allergic and nonallergic rhinitis.Allergy Asthma Proc. 2001;22(4):185-189.
18. Greiner AN, Hellings PW, Rotiroti G, Scadding GK. Allergic rhinitis. Lancet. 2011;378(9809):2112-2122. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60130-X
19. Kaliner MA. Nonallergic rhinopathy (formerly known as vasomotor rhinitis). Immunol Allergy Clin North Am. 2011;31(3):441-455. doi:10. 1016/j.iac.2011.05.007
20. Matheson MC, Dharmage SC, Abramson MJ, et al. Early-life risk factors and incidence of rhinitis: results from the European Community Respiratory Health Study&mdash;an international population-based cohort study. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2011;128(4):816-823.e5. doi:10.1016/j.jaci. 2011.05.039
21. Saulyte J, Regueira C, Montes-Mart&iacute;nez A, Khudyakov P, Takkouche B. Active or passive exposure to tobacco smoking and allergic rhinitis, allergic dermatitis, and food allergy in adults and children: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS Med. 2014;11(3):e1001611. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001611
22. Guerra S, Sherrill DL, Martinez FD, Barbee RA. Rhinitis as an independent risk factor for adult-onset asthma. Allergy Clin Immunol. 2002;109(3):419-425. doi:10.1067/mai.2002.121701
23. Shaaban R, Zureik M, Soussan D, et al. Rhinitis and onset of asthma: a longitudinal population-based study. Lancet. 2008;372(9643):1049-1057. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61446-4
24. Eriksson J, Bjerg A, L&ouml;tvall J, et al. Rhinitis phenotypes correlate with different symptom presentation and risk factor patterns of asthma. Respir Med. 2011;105(11):1611-1621. doi:10.1016/j.rmed.2011.06.004
25. Bedolla-Barajas M, Kestler-Gramajo A, Alcal&aacute;-Padilla G, Morales-Romero J. Prevalence of oral allergy syndrome in children with allergic diseases. Allergol Immunopathol (Madr). 2017;45(2):127-133. doi:10. 1016/j.aller.2016.04.017
26. Vichyanond P, Suratannon C, Lertbunnaphong P, Jirapongsananuruk O, Visitsunthorn N. Clinical characteristics of children with non-allergic rhinitis vs with allergic rhinitis. Asian Pac J Allergy Immunol. 2010;28(4):270-274.
27. Evcimik MF, Dogru M, Cirik AA, Nepesov MI. Adenoid hypertrophy in children with allergic disease and influential factors. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2015;79(5):694-697. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2015.02.017
28. Westman M, Stj&auml;rne P, Asarnoj A, et al. Natural course and comorbidities of allergic and nonallergic rhinitis in children. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2012;129(2):403-408. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2011.09.036
29. Schuler IV CF, Montejo JM. Allergic rhinitis in children and adolescents. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am. 2021;41(4):613-625. doi:10.1016/j.iac. 2021.07.010
30. Li AR, Zhang K, Reddy PD, et al. Systematic review of measures of disease severity in rhinitis.Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2021;11(9):1367-1377. doi:10.1002/alr.22794
31. Saadeh D, Salameh P, Caillaud D, et al. High body-mass index and allergies in schoolchildren: the French six cities study. BMJ Open Respir Res. 2014;1(1):e000054. doi:10.1136/bmjresp-2014-000054
32. Han MW, Kim SH, Oh I, Kim YH, Lee J. Obesity can contribute to severe persistent allergic rhinitis in children through leptin and interleukin-1&beta;. Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2021;182(6):546-552. doi:10.1159/000512920
33. Zhou J, Luo F, Han Y, Lou H, Tang X, Zhang L. Obesity/overweight and risk of allergic rhinitis: a meta-analysis of observational studies. Allergy. 2020;75(5):1272-1275. doi:10.1111/all.14143
34. Hsueh KC, Lin YJ, Lin HC, Lin CY. Serum leptin and adiponectin levels correlate with severity of allergic rhinitis. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2010;21(1 Pt 2):e155-e159. doi:10.1111/j.1399-3038.2009.00878.x
35. Sybilski AJ, Raciborski F, Lipiec A, et al. Obesity-a risk factor for asthma, but not for atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis and sensitization. Public Health Nutr. 2015;18(3):530-536. doi:10.1017/S1368980014000676
36. Kusunoki T, Morimoto T, Nishikomori R, et al. Obesity and the prevalence of allergic diseases in schoolchildren. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2008;19(6):527-534. doi:10.1111/j.1399-3038.2007.00686.x
37. Yao TC, Ou LS, Yeh KW, et al. Associations of age, gender, and BMI with prevalence of allergic diseases in children: PATCH study.J Asthma. 2011;48(5):503-510. doi:10.3109/02770903.2011.576743
Article available in :
Volume 7, Issue 2, 2025
Page : 177-183
https://doi.org/10.38053/acmj.1625706
Article Information
Received : 23 Oca 2025
Accepted : 25 Şub 2025
Published : 21 Mar 2025
Corresponding Author :

Hilal Ünsal: Department of Pediatric Immunology and Allergy, Sincan Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkiye

[email protected]
Citation : Ünsal H, Akalın Ertürk B. Evaluation of children with allergic and non-allergic rhinitis and the effect of obesity/overweight in patients with allergic rhinitis. Anatolian Curr Med J. 2025;7(2):177-183.

Read: 12
Cited: 0
Download : 17
_Footer