title: Triamcinolone acetonide and fluticasone propionate nasal sprays provide comparable relief of seasonal allergic rhinitis symptoms regardless of disease severity.
abstract: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of aqueous triamcinolone acetonide (TAA AQ) and fluticasone propionate (FP) nasal sprays on seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in patients stratified into cohorts based on symptom severity. In a multicenter, investigator-blinded, parallel-group study, 295 patients with a > or =2-year history of SAR received once-daily TAA AQ, 220 microg, or FP, 200 microg, for 3 weeks. Median baseline total nasal symptom score (TNSS; sum of nasal congestion, rhinorrhea, sneezing, and nasal itching scores) for all patients was 8.14 (range, 0-12). Patients were stratified by baseline TNSS into a moderate (<814) or severe (> or =8.14) cohort. Changes from baseline TNSS, individual symptom scores, and HRQL were assessed. Sixty-nine TAA AQ and 76 FP patients were included in the moderate stratum (baseline mean TNSS = 6.14 and 6.22, respectively), and 79 (TAA AQ) and 71 (FP) patients were included in the severe stratum (TNSS = 10.03 and 9.47, respectively). At the study end, patients showed significant (p < 0.0001 all comparisons) and comparable improvements in TNSS in both the moderate (TAA AQ, -2.40 [95% confidence interval [CI, -2.92, -1.87], 39% improvement; FP, -2.22 [95% CI, -2.72, -1.73], 36% improvement) and the severe (TAA AQ, -3.85 [95% CI, -4.36, -3.33], 38% improvement; FP, -3.84 [95% CI, -4.43, -3.24], 41% improvement) strata. TAA AQ and FP significantly and comparably improved HRQL in both strata versus baseline. Once-daily TAA AQ and FP nasal sprays in patients with moderate or severe SAR provided significant and comparable symptom relief and improvements in HRQL.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Institute, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Harold B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Kaiser
authors.forename: Yuning
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Phyllis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Diener
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Leahy
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Georges
mesh_terms: D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011336:Probability; D012016:Reference Values; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide