Olerance of a cluster schedule with a house dust mite extract quantified in mass units: multicentre study.

The standardisation of allergenic extracts in micrograms of the major allergen has encouraged the search for new treatment schedules, with the purpose of shortening the number of visits and doses required to reach the maintenance dose without eliciting a greater risk of adverse reactions for the patients. With this objective, a prospective multicentre pharmacovigilance study was designed that included 200 patient with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and/or allergic asthma sensitised to mites (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinu and/or farinae). The dose increment period was carried out using a cluster schedule, where the optimal dose wa reached after 4 visits, administering two doses in each visit.

Prophylactic management of children at risk for recurrent upper respiratory infections: the Preventia I Study.

Background: Given the morbidity and mortality of asthma and the recent dramatic increase in its prevalence, pharmacologic prophylaxis of this disease in children at risk would represent a major medical advance.

Objectives: The Preventia I Study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and long-term safety of loratadine in reducing the number of respiratory infections in children at 24 months. A secondary objective was to investigate the benefit of loratadine treatment in preventing the onset of respiratory exacerbations.

Increased serum IgE in acute type A, B and delta hepatitis.

Serum IgE levels have been documented in patients of acute type B hepatitis. There are very few studies on serum IgE in acute type A hepatitis and, to our knowledge, there are no data on serum IgE in acute delta hepatitis patients. The purpose of this study was to measure total IgE levels in 38 patients with acute A, B and delta hepatitis and in 181 controls in order to determine the possible existence of changes in this parameter in the course of these infections.

Comparison of cetirizine with astemizole in the treatment of perennial allergic rhinitis and study of the concomitant effect on histamine and allergen-induced wheal responses.

Thirty patients suffering from perennial allergic rhinitis took astemizole and cetirizine, 10 mg/d, under double-blind, crossover randomized conditions for 4 weeks. Four weeks washout separated the two periods. Nasal condition was improved, histamine and allergen-induced wheal responses were inhibited by both treatments with a slight advantage for cetirizine.