Comparisons of two intranasal corticosteroid preparations in treating allergic rhinitis.

OBJECTIVES

Intranasal corticosteroid preparations can relieve symptoms of allergic rhinitis. Different aqueous corticosteroid forms have been developed for intranasal use. The objectives of this study were to compare efficacy and safety between fluticasone propionate and budesonide in the treatment for patients with allergic rhinitis.

METHODS

The study was conducted in a prospective and randomized manner; a total of 24 adult patients were enrolled. All patients received MAST allergen test at entry and again at 2 months after treatments. Fourteen patients received fluticasone propionate 200 microg once daily, and 10 patients received budesonide 200 microg twice daily. To investigate the efficacy of fluticasone propionate and budesonide, a subjective scoring system was designed to evaluate the symptom improvement of patients. Adverse events were recorded on a diary card then were analyzed. Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis 1-way analysis of variance were used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Analysis on patient-based symptom scores revealed that both fluticasone propionate and budesonide were equally efficacious in improving the symptoms of nasal blockage, sneezing, nasal itching, and watery rhinorrhea. There were no significant side effects reported for both groups during this follow-up period. However, analysis showed that the fluticasone propionate group demonstrated significantly greater improvement in some MAST allergen tests (Candida, mite, house dust; P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Clinically, fluticasone propionate 200 microg once daily was efficacious as budesonide 200 microg twice daily in the relief of allergic rhinitis symptoms. However, fluticasone propionate can achieve greater immunologic improvement. Both preparations showed no evidence of short-term side effects.