Comparison of the efficacy of fexofenadine 120 and 240 mg/day on chronic idiopathic urticaria and histamine-induced skin responses in Japanese populations

Abstract

Background: H1-antihistamines are the first-line treatment of chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU), but CIU is occasionally refractory to the conventional treatment doses. Guidelines in Europe recommend increasing doses as second-line therapy; however, more supportive evidences for these guidelines are required to justify this management strategy. Methods: In this study, the authors evaluated the effect of conventional and double doses of fexofenadine HCl on CIU and on histamine-induced skin responses by iontophoresis using visual and laser Doppler imaging scales in healthy donors. Results: Cutaneous manifestations in CIU and histamine-induced flare and itch in healthy donors were attenuated more extensively by a double dose of fexofenadine HCl compared with a conventional dose. Conclusion: The above findings support the management strategy that increasing the dose of non-sedative antihistamines is the second-line treatment choice for refractory CIU even in Japanese populations.

Key words::

• fexofenadine HCl
• histamine
• chronic idiopathic urticaria

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr. Akihiko Ikoma for technical assistance. The authors declare no competing financial interests. This work was supported in part by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.