Development of an Allergic Rhinitis Diagnosis Application Using the Total Tear IgE Detection Kit for Examining Nasal Fluid: Comparison and Combination with the Conventional Nasal Smear Examination for Eosinophils

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a type I allergic disease characterized by immunoglobulin E (IgE) -mediated hypersensitivity of the nasal mucosa. Here, we focused on a commercial test kit named Allerwatch® (AW) for the diagnosis of allergic conjunctivitis (AC) in which total tear IgE is qualitatively detected based on immunochromatography. We evaluated the usefulness of the AW test for detecting total IgE in the nasal discharge of AR and non-allergic rhinitis (non-AR) patients in comparison and combination with the conventional nasal smear examination for eosinophils. Using the AW test, total IgE in nasal fluid was detected in 64.76% of the AR patients and 11.11% of the non-AR patients, with a significant difference between the groups (p < 0.001). As compared to non-AR, the sensitivity and specificity of the detection of total IgE in nasal fluid for detecting AR were 64.76% and 88.89%, respectively. In the AR patients, house dust mites (57.1% of patients) and Japanese cedar pollen (93.3% of patients) were the major sensitizing antigens. When we considered a positive result in either of the two examinations to indicate a positive result, the rate of positivity in AR patients increased to 78.10%. As compared to non-AR, the sensitivity and specificity of the combination of both examinations for detecting AR were 78.10% and 83.33%, respectively. The AW test in the nasal cavity and the qualitative measurement of total IgE in nasal fluid may enable the detection of allergic elements in patients who present to a medical institution with nasal symptoms. In addition, the detection rate is increased when combined with the nasal smear examination for eosinophils.