Randomized placebo-controlled trial comparing fluticasone aqueous nasal spray in mono-therapy, fluticasone plus cetirizine, fluticasone plus montelukast and cetirizine plus montelukast for seasonal allergic rhinitis.

Background: Corticosteroids are considered to be particularly effective in reducing nasal congestion and are therefore recommended as first-line treatment in allergic rhinitis patients with moderate to severe and/or persistent symptoms.

Objective: We compared the clinical efficacy of fluticasone propionate aqueous nasal spray (FPANS) 200 microg given once daily, administered in mono-therapy or combined therapy with a H1 receptor antagonist (cetirizine, CTZ) or with a leukotriene antagonist (montelukast, MSK), and the combined therapy of CTZ plus MSK in the treatment of patients affected by allergic rhinitis to Parietaria during natural pollen exposure. In addition, we examined the effect of the treatment on eosinophil counts and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in nasal lavage performed at beginning of season, during season and at the end of the season.

Results of double-blind placebo-controlled challenge with nickel salts in patients affected by recurrent aphthous stomatitis.

Background: The aetiology of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) has so far not been completely clarified. Recently, several studies reported that patients affected by cutaneous diseases (i.e.

Twelve-lead electrocardiographic analysis and pharmacotherapy in centenarians.

The prevalence of electrocardiographic anomalies has been assessed in a selected group of centenarians recruited in Western Sicily (49 subjects, 15 males and 34 females) with an average age of 101.5 years (range 100-109); the findings were analyzed in correlation with the state of health of the subjects, the drugs used and the presence of specific heart diseases and immobility. These subjects have rare signs of heart diseases, they do not show any electrolytic disorder, in spite of using many drugs sometimes in an inconsistent way.