Levels of nasal exhaled hydrogen sulfide in the general population and allergic rhinitis patients

Abstract

Background: Objective measures used for the differential diagnosis and severity assessment of allergic rhinitis (AR) are still lacking. The involvement of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in the development of AR indicates that nasal exhaled H2S (NeH2S) has potential as a biomarker to be used in AR patients. This study aimed to evaluate the application value of NeH2S measurement in the diagnosis and assessment of AR. Methods: This study was a multi-center cross-sectional survey conducted in Northwestern China. Demographic information collection and rhinitis assessment were completed through questionnaires. The level of NeH2S and serum immunoglobulin E were measured. Results: The level of NeH2S in general population ranged from 0 to 35 ppb, with a median value of 2 ppb. The NeH2S levels in seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) patients were significantly lower than those in general population (2 [1, 2.75] vs. 2 [2, 3] ppb; p =.023), and the NeH2S value of the SAR group tended to be lower than that of the non-allergic rhinitis (NAR) group (2 [1, 2.75] vs. 2 [2, 3] ppb; p =.094). The subgroup of AR patients with symptoms lasting longer than 2 weeks per month had a lower NeH2S level compared with the subgroup of patients with symptoms lasting less than 2 weeks per month (2 [1, 2] vs. 2 [2, 3] ppb; p =.015). Conclusion: This study described the distribution range of NeH2S levels in the general population. Further study with larger sample size was needed to clarify the relationship between NeH2S level and AR.