Air pollution and rhinitis

Rhinitis arises from either allergic or non-allergic inflammation of the nasal mucosa, characterized by the infiltration of inflammatory cells into the tissue and nasal secretions, along with structural alterations in the nasal mucosa. The pathways through which air pollution affects rhinitis may diverge from those affecting asthma. This article aims to review the effects of diverse air pollutants on the nose, the correlation of climate change and pollution, and how they aggravate the symptoms of patients with rhinitis

One-year treatment of chronic urticaria with mizolastine: efficacy and safety

Aim To assess the long-term safety and efficacy of the H1-receptor antagonist mizolastine in the symptomatic treatment of chronic urticaria (CU). Background Mizolastine is a novel second generation antihistamine with additional anti-inflammatory properties which has been shown to be effective in this condition as well as in allergic rhinitis. As the drug is used for chronic treatment, a detailed study of its efficacy and safety over a prolonged period was warranted. Methods This open label multicentre trial recruited 211 patients suffering from CU (67% female; mean age 40 +/- 13 years), with greater than or equal to 1 episode/week if untreated. After a 7-day placebo run-in period, patients received mizolastine (10 or 15 mg) for 12 months. Efficacy was assessed by the patient using daily diary cards and overall condition evaluation at study visits. Clinicians also assessed the same parameters at each visit, and gave a global assessment at study termination. Safety was assessed by monitoring adverse events and laboratory parameters. Cardiac safety was monitored every 4 months using 12-lead ECGs, with particular attention to QT intervals. Results The trial was completed by 127 patients. Mizolastine reduced overall discomfort from the second week of therapy, and reduced itching and the number and size of wheals, as assessed by the patients. The clinician's assessment of the proportion of patients with > 10 wheals decreased from 42% to 28% after 2 months. Clinical assessment also indicated that itch intensity and angioedema were improved by mizolastine, and the improvement was sustained throughout the trial. The investigators estimated that 70% of patients benefited from therapy. There were no drug-related serious adverse events during the study. The cardiac repolarization assessed according to the QTc intervals was not modified during prolonged administration. Conclusion Mizolastine improves CU symptoms, and these improvements are sustained over 12 months with no loss of drug sensitivity. No specific side-effects are associated with its long-term use in the current study