Hyperreactivity of the nasal mucosa has been considered as an important pathogenesis in allergic rhinitis. Recently Yoon et al reported that the patients with allergic rhinitis could be divided into 3 groups by the intranasal provocation with histamine, i,e., huperreactive, normoreactive, hyporeactive group. The purpose of this study is to quantify goblet cells and acini of submucosal glands contained various glycoproteins in the inferior turbinate by using AB(pH 2.5 and 1.0)-PAS staining method and to observe the epithelial change depending on the histamine sensitivity in patients with allergic rhinitis and in normal subjects. The results were as follows : 1) The total number of acini and acini positive for acidic glycoproteins of inferior turbinate mucosa in the patients with allergic rhinitis was increased significantly and the ratio of acini positive for sialic acid to total acini was also increased significantly as the histamine sensitivity decrease. 2) The total number of goblet cells in allergic group was not increased significantly. Nevertheless the goblet cells positive for neutral glycoprotein was decreased significantly in patients with allergic rhinitis. However, there was no differences in each groups. 3) The general finding of the epithelium was loss of epithelium in hyperractive group, increase of goblet cells in normoreactive group, and squamous metaplasia in hyporeactive group. From these results, it was suggested that the patients with allergic rhinitis could be divided into 3 group by histamine provocation and increased total number and ratio of acini positive for sialic acid glycoprotein might be one of the important disease process responsible for the watery rhinorrhea and nasal obstruction in allergic rhinitis. Works on the qualitative changes of those glycoproteins are remained to be done.