CAPSAICIN DESENSITIZATION OF THE NASAL-MUCOSA REDUCES SYMPTOMS UPON ALLERGEN CHALLENGE IN PATIENTS WITH ALLERGIC RHINITIS

Citation
P. Stjarne et al., CAPSAICIN DESENSITIZATION OF THE NASAL-MUCOSA REDUCES SYMPTOMS UPON ALLERGEN CHALLENGE IN PATIENTS WITH ALLERGIC RHINITIS, Acta oto-laryngologica, 118(2), 1998, pp. 235-239
Citations number
25
Categorie Soggetti
Otorhinolaryngology
Journal title
ISSN journal
00016489
Volume
118
Issue
2
Year of publication
1998
Pages
235 - 239
Database
ISI
SICI code
0001-6489(1998)118:2<235:CDOTNR>2.0.ZU;2-3
Abstract
Patients with birch pollen allergic rhinitis were treated locally, out of season, in the nasal cavity with capsaicin (30 mu M) or saline. Th e capsaicin treatment resulted in a statistically significant reductio n of symptoms upon allergen challenge, which lasted for 2 months. Sali ne had no effect on the symptom score upon allergen challenge. Neither capsaicin nor saline treatment had any effect on allergen challenge-i nduced nasal mucosal swelling monitored by acoustic rhinometry. Allerg en challenge-induced eosinophil migration to the nasal mucosa was affe cted by neither capsaicin nor the saline treatment. The finding that c apsaicin treatment reduces allergic symptoms indicates that selective, non-peptide neurokinin receptor antagonists may be an alternative in the future in the treatment of nasal allergy. However, owing to the pa in involved in local capsaicin treatment this treatment is unlikely to be of clinical use.