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Is antihistamine (H 1 ‐receptor antagonist) therapy useful in clinical asthma?
Author(s) -
Simons F. E. R.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
clinical and experimental allergy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.462
H-Index - 154
eISSN - 1365-2222
pISSN - 0954-7894
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2222.1999.0290s3098.x
Subject(s) - asthma , medicine , antihistamine , histamine , bronchodilator , inhalation , bronchial hyperresponsiveness , airway hyperresponsiveness , histamine h1 receptor , allergy , antagonist , anesthesia , immunology , pharmacology , respiratory disease , receptor , lung
Airway hyperresponsiveness to histamine is a hallmark of asthma, and histamine inhalation reproduces asthma symptoms. Plasma histamine concentrations are elevated during the early and late responses to inhaled allergens, and may also increase during spontaneous acute asthma episodes. Ordinary doses of currently available antihistamines (H 1 ‐receptor antagonists) have minimal bronchodilator and bronchoprotective activity. In severe persistent asthma, H 1 antagonists have no significant clinical effect. In moderate persistent asthma, clinical benefits of H 1 antagonists are apparent, but may not be worth the potential risks of the higher‐than‐usual doses required. When mild seasonal asthma and allergic rhinitis coexist, however, relief of rhinitis symptoms with H 1 antagonists administered in ordinary dose is associated with significant improvement in asthma symptoms.