Evaluation of the effect of levocetirizine on nasal mucociliary clearance in allergic rhinitis patients by rhinoscintigraphy.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of levocetirizine on nasal mucociliary clearance in allergic rhinitis patients using rhinoscintigraphy.


METHODS
Twenty patients with allergic rhinitis (12 males and eight females, mean age 37.7 +/- 10.5 years) were evaluated. All the patients received levocetirizine (5 mg x day(-1)) for 4 weeks, and the speed of nasal mucociliary clearance was assessed before and after treatment. Twenty healthy controls (11 males and nine females, mean age 39.4 +/- 7.8 years) were also evaluated.


RESULTS
The clearance values obtained for the treated group before and after treatment were significantly lower than those of the control group (P = 0.0001), but there was no significant difference in clearance speeds before and after treatment in the patient group (P = 0.444).


CONCLUSIONS
The study demonstrated that levocetirizine did not affect the speed of nasal mucociliary clearance in allergic rhinitis patients, and that nasal mucociliary clearance can easily be evaluated by rhinoscintigraphy.
Seven
Bedri
B
Department of Nuclear Medicine, School of Medicine, Ataturk University, 25240 Erzurum, Turkey. bedriseven@yahoo.com
Yoruk
Ozgur
O
Varoglu
Erhan
E
Sutbeyaz
Yavuz
Y
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017332:Cetirizine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005260:Female; D039563:Histamine H1 Antagonists, Non-Sedating / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009079:Mucociliary Clearance; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects*; D010879:Piperazines / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D013997:Time Factors
D039563:Histamine H1 Antagonists, Non-Sedating; D010879:Piperazines; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin; C472067:levocetirizine; D017332:Cetirizine