Monitoring allergic rhinitis (AR) severity with objective biomarkers is important for the clinical management of patients as well as for research purposes. The most commonly used tool for the assessment of AR severity is the Total Nasal Symptom Score (TNSS). Objective biomarkers like skin prick test size or specific IgE levels don't correlate with TNSS.~We studied skin prick test size and specific IgE and several patient reported outcomes including symptom score, medication scores, combined score and Juniper mini rhinitis quality of life questionnaire (RQLQ). Psychometric evaluation was performed using 5 different psychological questionnaires that measure 13 different psychological factors.
Objective biomarker of allergic rhinitis severity is necessary for monitoring disease severity and response to treatment in clinical setting and for research. We believe that psychological factors are the missing link between patient-perceived severity of allergic rhinitis and objective biomarkers. In our pilot study, several psychological factors were studied in relation to patient reported outcomes for severity of allergic rhinitis.