Montelukast for treating fall allergic rhinitis: effect of pollen exposure in 3 studies.

Background: Montelukast, a potent leukotriene receptor antagonist, is an effective therapy for symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis, a disease governed by patients' individual sensitivity and exposure to relevant allergens.

Objective: To evaluate the relationship of montelukast treatment effect vs pollen exposure in studies conducted during 3 consecutive fall allergy seasons.

Method: A combined analysis of these multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group studies was performed; 1 of the 3 studies is presented for the first time in this article.

Multicenter evaluation of use of dried blood and plasma spot specimens in quantitative assays for human immunodeficiency virus RNA: measurement, precision, and RNA stability.

Eleven laboratories evaluated the use of dried blood and plasma spots for quantitation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) RNA by two commercially available RNA assays, the Roche Amplicor HIV-1 Monitor and the bioMerieux NucliSens HIV-1 QT assays. The recovery of HIV RNA was linear over a dynamic range extending from 4,000 to 500,000 HIV type 1 RNA copies/ml. The Monitor assay appeared to have a broader dynamic range and seemed more sensitive at lower concentrations.

Clinical review of once-daily beclomethasone dipropionate for seasonal allergic rhinitis.

A new double-strength (84 micrograms/spray) formulation of beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP-ds) as an aqueous suspension has been introduced to control symptoms of allergic rhinitis with once-daily intranasal dosing. This paper reviews the results of three clinical reports which show that BDP-ds given once a day is more effective than placebo and as effective as regular-strength beclomethasone dipropionate given twice daily in reducing the nasal symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis. Symptom improvement was seen within 2 days of treatment initiation and was maintained for the subsequent 4 weeks.