Evaluation of nasal symptoms induced by platelet activating factor, after nasal challenge in both healthy and allergic rhinitis subjects pretreated with rupatadine, levocetirizine or placebo in a cross-over study design.
BACKGROUND
Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is produced by most inflammatory cells and it is involved in inflammatory and allergic reactions. We aimed to assess the anti-PAF effects of rupatadine and levocetirizine in the upper airways.


RESULTS
Healthy volunteers (HV, N = 10) and seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR, N = 10) asymptomatic patients were treated out of the pollen season with either rupatadine 20 mg, levocetirizine 10 mg, or placebo once a day during 5 days prior to the PAF nasal challenge. Total 4-nasal symptom score (T4SS) and nasal patency (Vol2-5, by acoustic rhinometry) were assessed from 0 to 240 minutes after a repeated PAF challenge. In SAR patients but not in HV, both rupatadine and levocetirizine showed a trend to decrease PAF-induced T4SS from 60 to 120 minutes. Rupatadine but not levocetirizine caused a significant reduction (p < 0.05) of T4SS area under the curve compared to placebo. Rupatadine and levocetirizine caused no significant changes on nasal patency compared to placebo.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that both rupatadine and levocetirizine showed a tendency decrease toward nasal symptoms, but only rupatadine significally reduces the overall nasal symptoms (AUC) induced by PAF in SAR patients.
Allergy Unit, Pneumology and Allergy Department, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.|Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.|Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA2LEN), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.|Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Rosa
R
Muñoz-Cano
Allergy Unit, Pneumology and Allergy Department, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.|Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.|Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA2LEN), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.|Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Antonio
A
Valero
Clinical Development Department, J Uriach y Compañia, S.A, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.|J Uriach y Compañía, S.A., Poligono Industrial Riera de Caldes, Avinguda, Camí Reial, 51-57, 08184, Palau-Solità i Plegamans, Catalonia, Spain.
Ignacio
I
Izquierdo
Allergy Unit, Pneumology and Allergy Department, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.|Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.|Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA2LEN), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.|Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Jaume
J
Sánchez-López
Clinical Development Department, J Uriach y Compañia, S.A, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Alejandro
A
Doménech
Allergy Unit, Pneumology and Allergy Department, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.|Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.|Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA2LEN), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.|Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Joan
J
Bartra
Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.|Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA2LEN), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.|Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.|Unitat de Rinologia i Clinica de l'Olfacte, Servei d'Otorinolaringologia, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Joaquim
J
Mullol
Allergy Unit, Pneumology and Allergy Department, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.|Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.|Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA2LEN), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.|Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Cesar
C
Picado