The complex link between severity of asthma and rhinitis in mite allergic patients.
AIM
The aim of the study was to evaluate the link between the severity of upper and lower airways diseases in mite allergic patients with respiratory allergy.


PATIENTS AND METHOD
A multicentre, observational, cross-sectional study was carried out in 556 consecutively enrolled mite allergic patients with rhinitis and asthma comorbidity attending a specialist unit. Severity assessment of rhinitis and asthma was evaluated in accordance with ARIA and GINA guidelines.


RESULTS
Reliable data were available for 518 patients. The distribution of rhinitis severity was: 15.6% mild intermittent rhinitis, 4.4% moderate-severe intermittent rhinitis, 30.3% mild persistent rhinitis and 49.6% moderate persistent rhinitis. The distribution of asthma severity was: 41.3% mild intermittent asthma, 14.3% mild persistent asthma, 19.1% moderate persistent asthma and 25.3% severe persistent asthma. In patients with moderate-severe persistent rhinitis (49.5%) a significant trend (p = 0.005) was found pointing to an increased link with asthma severity.


CONCLUSION
A link between respective severities of rhinitis and asthma was found in only half of mite allergic patients with rhinitis and asthma.