title: H1- and H2-antagonists in allergic and pseudoallergic diseases.
abstract: Although known for more than 80 years, histamine still remains a fascinating substance for allergy research. Histamine antagonists have been in clinical use since 1942. The classical H1-antagonists with sedative side-effects have been more or less replaced by newer non-sedating H1-antagonists; the role of H2-receptors in allergic diseases is still controversial. There, are however, increasing reports of beneficial effects of H2-antagonists, mostly in combination with H1-antagonists, in a variety of allergic and pseudoallergic conditions such as chronic urticaria, anaphylactoid reactions due to colloid volume substitutes, opioid analgesics and radiographic contrast media. The combined use of H1- and H2-antagonists might not only act as specific histamine antagonism but exert a mast cell stabilizing effect, as demonstrated in animal experiments and some clinical studies. Future research will show whether the combined use of H1- and H2-antagonists will become a routine therapeutic procedure in allergy therapy.
authors.affiliation: Dermatologische Klinik und Poliklinik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, FRG.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ring
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Behrendt
mesh_terms: D000707:Anaphylaxis / Q000517:prevention & control; D000818:Animals; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000009:adverse effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006632:Histamine / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006635:Histamine H2 Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014581:Urticaria / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists; D006635:Histamine H2 Antagonists; D006632:Histamine