Allergic Rhinoconjunctivitis: the Role of Histamine
Allergic rhinoconjunctivitis is the most common atopic condition encountered in clinical practice. Analysis of the pathogenesis of this condition permits identification of optimal therapeutic targets. The increased knowledge of the underlying pathophysiology suggests that multiple inflammatory media...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
1994-01-01
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| Series: | Mediators of Inflammation |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/S0962935194000220 |
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| Summary: | Allergic rhinoconjunctivitis is the most common atopic condition
encountered in clinical practice. Analysis of the pathogenesis of
this condition permits identification of optimal therapeutic
targets. The increased knowledge of the underlying pathophysiology
suggests that multiple inflammatory mediators are involved in the
pathogenesis of the allergic reaction in the ocular and nasal
mucosa. However, despite the presence of a wide range of different
mediators, it would appear that histamine plays a key role.
Experimental allergen challenge studies have demonstrated that
histamine is the only mediator which produces the full spectrum of
clinical manifestations of the acute allergic reaction when applied
to the mucosal surface. While both H1- and H2-receptors are present
in the nasal and ocular mucosa, only H1-receptor antagonists are
capable of inhibiting histamine-induced symptoms of allergic
rhinoconjunctivitis. Furthermore, although the exact role of
histamine in the immediate and prolonged allergic reaction has not
yet been fully elucidated, these findings do not exclude the
possibility that histamine is involved in these processes. The
available evidence therefore supports current clinical practice for
use of H1-receptor antagonist as a first-line therapy in
patients with this atopic condition. |
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| ISSN: | 0962-9351 1466-1861 |