Novel approaches in the treatment of allergic rhinitis.
OBJECTIVE
The increasing prevalence of allergic rhinitis, its impact on individual quality of life and social costs, as well as its role as a risk factor for asthma, underline the need for improved treatment options for this disorder. We reviewed the recent literature published in English, dealing with relevant and appropriately controlled clinical trials on the treatment of allergic rhinitis.


RESULTS
In addition to well established pharmacological therapies with antihistamines, corticosteroids, decongestants and mast cell stabilizers, new therapeutic options become increasingly important, including leukotriene modifiers, anti-immunoglobulin E antibodies, phosphodiesterase inhibitors and intranasal heparin; there also exist new developments in appropriate allergen specific immunotherapy.


CONCLUSIONS
Promising results, both with established and novel treatment options, are communicated, but further studies are still necessary to confirm these data.
Schultz
Armin
A
Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Clinical Medicine Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.
Stuck
Boris Alexander
BA
Feuring
Martin
M
Hörmann
Karl
K
Wehling
Martin
M
D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000906:Antibodies / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D006493:Heparin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology; D020024:Leukotriene Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy*
D000906:Antibodies; D020024:Leukotriene Antagonists; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D006493:Heparin