Levocetirizine better protects than desloratadine in a nasal provocation with allergen.

Author(s): Deruaz C, Leimgruber A, Berney M, Pradervand E, Spertini F

Affiliation(s): Division of Allergy and Immunology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Rue du Bugnon, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.

Publication date & source: 2004-04, J Allergy Clin Immunol., 113(4):669-76.

Publication type: Clinical Trial; Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: Direct comparisons of antihistamines are rare but very much needed. Newly available antihistamine preparations, levocetirizine, the R-enantiomer of racemate cetirizine, and desloratadine, an active metabolite of loratadine, have been recently released for allergic rhinitis. OBJECTIVE: We sought to compare levocetirizine and desloratadine in a nasal provocation test (NPT) with grass pollen. METHODS: Twenty-four volunteers with grass pollen allergy and a history of rhinitis were enrolled in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. Three NPTs were performed in a dose-escalating manner during the out-of-season period 4 hours after a single dose of levocetirizine (5 mg), desloratadine (5 mg), or placebo. RESULTS: CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates a better overall protection of a single dose of levocetirizine compared with desloratadine in an NPT with grass pollen allergen. In contrast to late-phase inflammatory markers, which were unaffected, extravascular leakage of the early-phase marker albumin was significantly limited by levocetirizine.