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Detection of microplastics in patients with allergic rhinitis

  • Rhinology
  • Published:
European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

A Letter to the Editor to this article was published on 21 December 2023

Abstract

Objective

We aimed to investigate the relationship between microplastics, which are a worldwide health and environmental issue, and their relationship to allergic rhinitis.

Materials and methods

A total of 66 patients participated in this prospective study. The patients were divided into two groups. While there were 36 patients with allergic rhinitis in group 1, there were 30 healthy volunteers in group 2. The participants’ age, gender and Score for Allergic Rhinitis results were noted. Microplastics were examined in the nasal lavage fluids of the patients and their numbers noted. The groups were compared on these values.

Results

There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of age and gender. There was a significant difference between the allergic rhinitis group and the control group in terms of the Score for Allergic Rhinitis results (p < 0.001). In the allergic rhinitis group, the microplastic density in the nasal lavage was significantly higher than in the control group (p = 0.027). Microplastics were detected in all participants.

Conclusions

We found more microplastics in allergic rhinitis patients. According to this result, we can say that there is a relationship between allergic rhinitis and microplastics.

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Funding

The authors declare that this article did not receive any fnancial support during the research and authorship process.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Infectious Disease and Clinical Microbiology, Medical Faculty, Kirikkale University, Kırıkkale, Turkey

    Ayşegül Tuna, Birgül Kaçmaz, Serdar Gül & Eftal Böke

  2. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medical Faculty, Kirikkale University, Kırıkkale, Turkey

    Burak M. Taş, Furkan M. Koçak, Ziya Şencan, Ela Cömert & Nuray Bayar Muluk

  3. Biology Department, Faculty of Science and Art Kirikkale University, Kırıkkale, Turkey

    Gökben Başaran Kankılıç

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  1. Ayşegül Tuna
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  2. Burak M. Taş
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Correspondence to Ayşegül Tuna.

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Ethical approval

This study was carried out with the ethics committee approval of Kırıkkale University Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Committee (Decision No: 03/01, 16/02/2023).

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Tuna, A., Taş, B.M., Başaran Kankılıç, G. et al. Detection of microplastics in patients with allergic rhinitis. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 280, 5363–5367 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-023-08105-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-023-08105-7

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