Effect of flurbiprofen, a cyclooxygenase inhibiting drug, on induced allergic rhinitis.

To test whether prostaglandins contribute to the nasal allergic reaction, we subjected allergic rhinitis patients to nasal allergen challenge after treatment with flurbiprofen, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor. We challenged 18 patients after two pretreatment doses of flurbiprofen, 75 mg, chlorpheniramine, 6 mg, both drugs combined, and placebo. All patients received all treatments. None of the treatments affected measured nasal airway resistance. Nasal secretion weight, number of sneezes, and overall subjective severity scores for all active treatments differed significantly from placebo treatment. Flurbiprofen proved nearly as effective as chlorpheniramine in reducing severity of induced rhinitis. Some mechanism that can be influenced by flurbiprofen (possibly prostaglandin synthesis) contributes to the acute, induced allergic reaction.