Is Allergic Rhinitis Related to Otitis Media with Effusion in Adults and Children? Applying Epidemiological Guidelines for Causation
This review studies the potential relationship between the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis (AR) and otitis media with effusion (OME) in both adults and children, applying the modified Bradford Hill criteria. While AR and OME are distinct conditions, several epidemiological and experimental studies...
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Cells |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/14/11/805 |
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| author | Ioannis Michael Vlastos Natalia Tsotsiou Mohannad Almomani Maria Doulaptsi Alexandros Karatzanis Emmanuel Prokopakis |
| author_facet | Ioannis Michael Vlastos Natalia Tsotsiou Mohannad Almomani Maria Doulaptsi Alexandros Karatzanis Emmanuel Prokopakis |
| author_sort | Ioannis Michael Vlastos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This review studies the potential relationship between the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis (AR) and otitis media with effusion (OME) in both adults and children, applying the modified Bradford Hill criteria. While AR and OME are distinct conditions, several epidemiological and experimental studies suggest a significant association, primarily through allergic mechanisms such as Th-2 immune responses, Eustachian tube dysfunction, and inflammatory mediators in the middle ear. Given the substantial diversity and, in many instances, the “low quality” of related studies when assessed against the standards of modern evidence-based medicine, employing a structured framework like the modified Bradford Hill criteria is beneficial for investigating and establishing causality. This approach, which allows a wide range of diverse studies to be classified as direct, mechanistic, or parallel evidence, supports the notion that management of the allergic immune response may improve OME outcomes, although the inconsistencies among studies require further research. Despite current guidelines recommending against the use of antiallergic medications, the application of the above criteria suggests that proper diagnosis and treatment of allergic rhinitis should be strongly considered in adults and children with OME. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dc8de95e2be14c17bccd89f5eca87f98 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2073-4409 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Cells |
| spelling | doaj-art-dc8de95e2be14c17bccd89f5eca87f982025-08-20T02:23:01ZengMDPI AGCells2073-44092025-05-01141180510.3390/cells14110805Is Allergic Rhinitis Related to Otitis Media with Effusion in Adults and Children? Applying Epidemiological Guidelines for CausationIoannis Michael Vlastos0Natalia Tsotsiou1Mohannad Almomani2Maria Doulaptsi3Alexandros Karatzanis4Emmanuel Prokopakis5Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Evangelismos General Hospital, 10676 Athens, GreeceDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Evangelismos General Hospital, 10676 Athens, GreeceDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Evangelismos General Hospital, 10676 Athens, GreeceDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Heraklion University Hospital, 71500 Crete, GreeceDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Heraklion University Hospital, 71500 Crete, GreeceDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Heraklion University Hospital, 71500 Crete, GreeceThis review studies the potential relationship between the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis (AR) and otitis media with effusion (OME) in both adults and children, applying the modified Bradford Hill criteria. While AR and OME are distinct conditions, several epidemiological and experimental studies suggest a significant association, primarily through allergic mechanisms such as Th-2 immune responses, Eustachian tube dysfunction, and inflammatory mediators in the middle ear. Given the substantial diversity and, in many instances, the “low quality” of related studies when assessed against the standards of modern evidence-based medicine, employing a structured framework like the modified Bradford Hill criteria is beneficial for investigating and establishing causality. This approach, which allows a wide range of diverse studies to be classified as direct, mechanistic, or parallel evidence, supports the notion that management of the allergic immune response may improve OME outcomes, although the inconsistencies among studies require further research. Despite current guidelines recommending against the use of antiallergic medications, the application of the above criteria suggests that proper diagnosis and treatment of allergic rhinitis should be strongly considered in adults and children with OME.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/14/11/805allergic rhinitisotitis media with effusionBradford Hill criteriacausation |
| spellingShingle | Ioannis Michael Vlastos Natalia Tsotsiou Mohannad Almomani Maria Doulaptsi Alexandros Karatzanis Emmanuel Prokopakis Is Allergic Rhinitis Related to Otitis Media with Effusion in Adults and Children? Applying Epidemiological Guidelines for Causation Cells allergic rhinitis otitis media with effusion Bradford Hill criteria causation |
| title | Is Allergic Rhinitis Related to Otitis Media with Effusion in Adults and Children? Applying Epidemiological Guidelines for Causation |
| title_full | Is Allergic Rhinitis Related to Otitis Media with Effusion in Adults and Children? Applying Epidemiological Guidelines for Causation |
| title_fullStr | Is Allergic Rhinitis Related to Otitis Media with Effusion in Adults and Children? Applying Epidemiological Guidelines for Causation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Is Allergic Rhinitis Related to Otitis Media with Effusion in Adults and Children? Applying Epidemiological Guidelines for Causation |
| title_short | Is Allergic Rhinitis Related to Otitis Media with Effusion in Adults and Children? Applying Epidemiological Guidelines for Causation |
| title_sort | is allergic rhinitis related to otitis media with effusion in adults and children applying epidemiological guidelines for causation |
| topic | allergic rhinitis otitis media with effusion Bradford Hill criteria causation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/14/11/805 |
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