[Interest of environmental exposure chambers in the evaluation of allergic conjunctivitis]. / Intérêt des chambres d'exposition environnementale dans l'évaluation des conjonctivites allergiques.

Allergic conjunctivitis affects 15 to 20% of the general population. It is currently evaluated by the Conjunctival Provocation Test (CPT), which is considered as the gold standard. In the investigation of allergic rhinitis and asthma, environmental exposure chambers (EEC) are increasingly utilised. For allergic conjunctivitis, EEC might be a valid alternative to the CPT. However, evaluation of the allergen response in individual provocation tests or in EECs is still in discussion due to the multiplicity of symptom scores. Indeed, there are many scores used to evaluate allergic conjunctivitis. The main criteria used were described by Abelson in 1990 and include redness, itching, tearing, and swelling. In clinical studies, the specifically ocular score most used is the Total Ocular Symptom Score (TOSS). Few treatments have been evaluated by EEC, including cold compresses, epinastine and N-acetyl aspartyl glutamic acid. Moreover, early data shows good correlation between ocular symptoms induced in an EEC and those assessed during natural exposure. EEC might be a valid alternative to CPT and correlate with natural seasonal allergen exposure. Finally, EEC might be useful in other fields as well, such as in the study of dry eye disease.

[Environmental exposure chambers (EEC): A novel tool for pathophysiological and pharmaceutical research]. / Les chambres d'exposition environnementale (CEE) : un nouvel outil dans la recherche académique et industrielle.

Airborne allergic diseases (allergic asthma, rhinitis and conjunctivitis) have reached epidemic proportions and are a great burden for both society and individuals. Therefore we need to better understand the physiopathological mechanisms and to increase clinical research in these diseases. However, traditional outpatient studies are difficult and have number of limitations, in particular the variability of allergen exposure. Yet allergen provocation tests, especially bronchial challenges in asthma, are excellent tools to measure the efficiency of anti-allergic therapies. Environmental exposure chambers (EEC) allow the performance of controlled allergen provocation tests on a large scale with remarkable sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility. Moreover, they allow a precise collection of allergic symptoms, making them interesting tools for patho-physiological and clinical studies. During the last thirty years, they have assisted the study of anti-allergic therapies and provided data on their pharmacodynamic characteristics, particularly in allergic rhinitis. However, there are still no EEC tests centered on asthma. The EEC of Strasbourg (ALYATEC®) was developed to fulfill two objectives: to allow standardized allergenic and non-allergenic exposures with better control of the parameters than in other EEC and to offer a place to study asthma and anti-asthmatic therapies safely.