Distinct Endotypes of Pediatric Rhinitis Based on Cluster Analysis

Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2022 Nov;14(6):730-741. English.  https://doi.org/10.4168/aair.2022.14.6.730

Jin Youp Kim,1,2 Sangjun Lee,3,4 Dong In Suh,5 Dae Woo Kim,6 Hyung-Jin Yoon,2,7,8 Sue K Park,3 Chae-Seo Rhee,9,10,11,12 and Doo Hee Han9

Abstract

Purpose Despite the wide spectrum of pediatric rhinitis, endotyping of rhinitis based on type 2 inflammation and bronchial hyper-responsiveness (BHR) is lacking. This study aimed to investigate endotypes of pediatric rhinitis using cluster analysis. Methods Cluster analysis was performed on data from 241 children with rhinitis by using 12 variables reflecting clinical characteristics of skin prick, laboratory, and pulmonary function tests. After extracting clusters, between-cluster differences in clinical features, such as nasal symptom scores and asthma comorbidity, were assessed to investigate the association between the endotypes and clinical features. Results Four clusters were extracted by hierarchical cluster analysis. Cluster 1 (n = 32 [13.3%]) was the non-allergic rhinitis dominant cluster with low type 2 inflammation and the lowest rate of BHR. Patients in cluster 1 had the mildest nasal symptoms and no asthma comorbidity. Cluster 2 (n = 114 [47.3%]) was the largest cluster and exhibited intermediate type 2 inflammation and low BHR. Cluster 3 (n = 65 [27.0%]) showed high type 2 inflammation and intermediate BHR. However, the severity of nasal symptoms and asthma comorbidity in this cluster were comparable with those in cluster 2. Cluster 4 (n = 30 [12.4%]) revealed high type 2 inflammation and BHR with potential functional airway impairment. Additionally, cluster 4 displayed the most severe nasal symptoms and frequent asthma comorbidity. Conclusions Four distinct endotypes of pediatric rhinitis based on allergen sensitization, type 2 inflammation, and BHR correlate to symptoms and asthma comorbidity. These endotypes may aid clinicians in understanding the wide spectrum of pediatric rhinitis. PDF