Levocetirizine better protects than desloratadine in a nasal provocation with allergen.
BACKGROUND
Direct comparisons of antihistamines are rare but very much needed. Newly available antihistamine preparations, levocetirizine, the R-enantiomer of racemate cetirizine, and desloratadine, an active metabolite of loratadine, have been recently released for allergic rhinitis.


OBJECTIVE
We sought to compare levocetirizine and desloratadine in a nasal provocation test (NPT) with grass pollen.


METHODS
Twenty-four volunteers with grass pollen allergy and a history of rhinitis were enrolled in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. Three NPTs were performed in a dose-escalating manner during the out-of-season period 4 hours after a single dose of levocetirizine (5 mg), desloratadine (5 mg), or placebo.


RESULTS



CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates a better overall protection of a single dose of levocetirizine compared with desloratadine in an NPT with grass pollen allergen. In contrast to late-phase inflammatory markers, which were unaffected, extravascular leakage of the early-phase marker albumin was significantly limited by levocetirizine.
Deruaz
Cédric
C
Division of Allergy and Immunology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Rue du Bugnon, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Leimgruber
Annette
A
Berney
Monika
M
Pradervand
Estelle
E
Spertini
François
F
D000328:Adult; D000418:Albumins / Q000378:metabolism; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D017332:Cetirizine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004056:Differential Threshold; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D039563:Histamine H1 Antagonists, Non-Sedating / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017336:Loratadine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D017817:Nasal Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D009299:Nasal Provocation Tests; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006109:Poaceae / Q000276:immunology*; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000418:Albumins; D000485:Allergens; D015415:Biomarkers; D039563:Histamine H1 Antagonists, Non-Sedating; D010879:Piperazines; C472067:levocetirizine; D017336:Loratadine; C121345:desloratadine; D017332:Cetirizine