Levocetirizine is an effective treatment in patients suffering from chronic idiopathic urticaria: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel, multicenter study.

摘要

Background Chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) is defined by the almost daily presence of urticaria for at least 6 weeks without an identifiable cause. Symptoms include short-lived wheals, itching, and erythema. CIU impedes significantly a patient's quality of life (QoL). Levocetirizine is an antihistamine from the latest generation approved for CIU. Aim To investigate the efficacy of levocetirizine, 5 mg, and placebo for the symptoms and signs of CIU, as well as for the QoL and productivity. Methods The primary criteria of evaluation were the pruritus severity scores over 1 week of treatment and over 4 weeks. The QoL was assessed via the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Results Baseline pruritus severity scores were comparable in the two treatment groups (2.06 +/- 0.58). After 1 week, levocetirizine was superior to placebo and demonstrated a considerable efficacy (difference = 0.78, P < 0.001). This efficacy was maintained over the entire study period (4 weeks, P < 0.001). The number and size of wheals were considerably reduced compared with placebo over 1 week and over the total treatment period (P