Abstract
We investigated the airborne pollen count of Japanese cedar and Hinoki cypress in Kanagawa prefecture for 3 years between 1991 and 1993, and evaluated the preventive and therapeutic effects as well as the clinical efficacy of oxatomide monotherapy in patients with cedar pollinosis during the 3 years.
Total airborne pollen counts in 1991 and 1993, according to the data in Isehara City, were almost the same, 4888 and 3199, respectively, which were relatively high values. In 1992, however, pollen count was as low as 875, one forth to one fifth of the levels in the other years.
The clinical efficacy of oxatomide was evaluated with regard to preventive and therapeutic effects. The study populations consisted of 98 patients for preventive effect and 51 for therapeutic effect in 1991, 91 and 34 in 1992, and 76 and 55 in 1993. A preventive effect was found early in the pollen season, in 80.6% in 1991, 79.8% in 1992 and 74.2% in 1993; in mid-season, in 69.1%, 72.3% and 61.9%; and late in the season, in 85.5%, 81.9% and 64.3%. A therapeutic effect early in the season was obtained in 52.2%, 50.0% and 66.7%; in mid-season, in 63.0%, 66.7% and 57.1%; and late in the season, in 83.3%, 73.3%, 59.6% in the respective years. The overall rate of adverse reactions for the 3 years was 3.9% (22/560 patients), most of which were transient sleepiness.
These findings reconfirm the preventive and therapeutic efficacy and safety of oxatomide for cedar pollinosis.
Furthermore, investigation using a symptom diary suggested that some cedar pollinosis patients developed symptoms before the first day of pollen season, and that onset of the symptoms could be significantly delayed by starting oxatomide treatment more than 2 weeks before the beginning of airborne pollen season.
