title: Relationship between airborne pollen count and treatment outcome in Japanese cedar pollinosis patients.
abstract: In Japan, information on daily Japanese cedar pollen counts is made public during pollen season. If symptom severity and treatment outcome are predictable according to these pollen counts, management of seasonal allergic rhinitis may become more precise. The aims of the study were to evaluate the relationship between airborne pollen counts, symptom severity and treatment outcome in Japanese cedar pollinosis patients. In the randomized study, patients with moderate to most severe Japanese pollinosis were treated with fexofenadine (60 mg BD) or fexofenadine and nasal corticosteroids for 2 weeks. During the same period daily airborne pollen counts were measured. A total of 105 adult patients were enrolled. No difference of treatment efficacy was seen among groups. Detailed results of efficacy and safety were previously described elsewhere. In univariate analysis, the mean cumulative amount of airborne pollen exposure for 4 days prior to the study tended to affect symptom severity (P = 0.053) and the mean cumulative amount of airborne pollen during the treatment period tended to show difference among five treatment outcome categories (P = 0.066). In multivariate analysis, the mean cumulative amount of airborne pollen exposure for 4 days prior to the study was identified as the only significant factor of symptom severity (P = 0.0327) and cumulative amount of airborne pollen during the treatment period (P = 0.027) and allergic history (P = 0.027) were significant factors of treatment outcomes. No serious adverse effect was reported during the study. The amount of airborne pollen may be predictive of both symptom severity and treatment outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-7-1, Sakamoto, Nagasaki, 852-8501, Japan. ktakasa@nagasaki-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takasaki
authors.forename: Kaori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Enatsu
authors.forename: Hidetaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kumagami
authors.forename: Haruo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000388:Air; D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D032485:Cryptomeria; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011058:Pollen / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016593:Terfenadine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D016593:Terfenadine; C093230:fexofenadine