Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0042109 (urticaria)
 6,569 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Cetirizine (Zyrtec) is a potent and long-acting second-generation histamine H1- receptor antagonist for the treatment of allergic disease, such as allergic rhinitis and chronic idiopathic urticaria, in adult and child. It is a racemic mixture of levocetirizine (Xyzal) and dextrocetirizine. The purpose of this present study was to compare the efficacy of cetirizine, levocetirizine and placebo for the treatment of pediatric perennial allergic rhinitis. 74 perennial allergic rhinitis patients, aged 6 to 12 years old, assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups for 12 weeks randomly. The effects of the three agents were compared with the Pediatric Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (PRQLQ) and Total Symptom Score (TSS) by diary. Nasal peak expiratory flow rate (nPEFR) and laboratory examinations including serum immunoglobulin E level, eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), blood eosinophil counts and eosinophil percentage in a nasal smear were evaluated among the three groups. The results revealed that both cetirizine and levocetirizine improved TSS in comparison with the placebo group, and ceterizine appeared to be more efficacious than levocetirizine at week 8 and week 12. The PRQLQ score showed significant decreased both in cetirizine and levocetirizine group, but there was no statistic significant difference between both groups. The eosinophil proportion in a nasal smear significantly decreased among the cetirizine in comparison with the placebo group but there was no statistic significant in levocetirizine groups. Both cetirizine and levocetirizine showed significant improvement in nPEFR in comparison with the placebo group, and ceterizine appeared to be more efficacious than levocetirizine. The 12-week treatment program showed that cetirizine was more effectious than levocetirizine.
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PMID:The comparison of cetirizine, levocetirizine and placebo for the treatment of childhood perennial allergic rhinitis. 1917 92

The evaluation of quality of life (QoL) and its modification through therapeutic interventions has become a prioritary concern in recent years and a requirement on the part of regulatory agencies for the authorization of new drugs. In clinical studies of allergic disorders, particularly allergic rhinitis and urticaria, different types of generic questionnaires have been used - especially disease specific instruments such as the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) or skin disease specific tools such as the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Throughout its clinical development, bilastine has been shown to be more effective than placebo and at least as effective as cetirizine, levocetirizine, fexofenadine or desloratadine in controlling the symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis and chronic urticaria. QoL has been studied as a secondary objective in three allergic rhinitis clinical trials, using the RQLQ, in a total of 2335 patients. Likewise, in chronic urticaria, QoL has been evaluated using the DLQI in a total of 525 patients, versus levocetirizine and placebo. The improvement in the QoL parameters in these studies (RQLQ or DLQI domains) at all times proved proportional to the symptoms improvement. In general, the data obtained relating to changes in QoL are concordant with the mean global visual analog scale (VAS in mm) values and their changes, from the beginning until the end of the treatment period, for all of the trials, for bilastine and all its comparators.
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PMID:Bilastine and quality of life. 2218 46