A comparison of two long-acting beta-agonists, oral bambuterol and inhaled salmeterol, in the treatment of moderate to severe asthmatic patients with nocturnal symptoms. The French Bambuterol Study Group.

This multicentre study was set up to compare the efficacies of two long-acting beta 2-agonists, oral bambuterol (20 mg nocte) and inhaled salmeterol (50 micrograms b.i.d.), for the treatment of moderate to severe asthmatics who were considered to be on optimal steroid/bronchodilator therapy, but continued to have troublesome nocturnal symptoms. The study was of double-blind, parallel-group design and comprised a 2-week run-in on previous maintenance therapy followed by a 6-week study treatment period. There were 117 randomized asthmatic patients aged 20-70 years (65 women and 52 men with a mean age of 45 and predicted FEV1 of 64%), who had been taking 800-2000 micrograms inhaled steroid and/or up to 20 mg oral steroid per day for at least 4 weeks. They were asked to complete daily diary cards, recording morning and evening PEF, daily symptoms, nocturnal awakenings, rescue medication and subjective tremor. There was a significant increase in both morning and evening PEF respectively, on bambuterol (28 l min-1, 20 l min-1, P < 0.05) and salmeterol (29 l min-1, P < 0.001; 23 l min-1, P < 0.01) when compared with run-in. The mean percentage fall in overnight PEF was reduced by 8.3% (P < 0.001) on bambuterol and by 6.8% (P < 0.001) on salmeterol. Nocturnal awakenings and daytime symptoms due to asthma were significantly lowered by both treatments, as was the consumption of rescue bronchodilator. Tremor scores were very low during both run-in and study treatments. No significant treatment difference between bambuterol and salmeterol was detected for any of the above variables. Once-daily oral bambuterol provides a highly effective alternative to twice-daily inhaled salmeterol for relief of nocturnal symptoms in patients with moderate to severe asthma.

[Allergy to olive trees and Oleaceae in the south of France]. / L'allergie à l'olivier et aux oléacées dans le Sud de la France.

In France, olive is widespread only around the Mediterranean; 35,000 hectares are cultivated for a total of 3,500,000 trees. Pollen counts for 1993 showed a low pollinisation of olive: 60 pollen grains/m3 at Toulouse in a total of 29,972 pollens, 355 at Perpignan (total 56,323), 1138 at Montpellier (total 98,821), 515 at Nîmes (total 57,836), 810 at Marseille (total 143,497) and 976 at Nice (total 8,890). The other Oleaceae are represented by Fraxinus, which is very abundant at Montpellier with 1,147, Ligustrum which was found at Perpignan with 159 and also Phillyrea in the Montpellier region. A recent study by Mrs Rovira, made on the dossiers of consultants from the Service d'Allergologie of Ste Marguerite Hospital at Marseille (D. Vervloet), with all families taken together, found that Olive caused about 1/3 positives of grasses.

Prevention of pollen rhinitis symptoms: comparison of fluticasone propionate aqueous nasal spray and disodium cromoglycate aqueous nasal spray. A multicenter, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-group study.

Fluticasone propionate aqueous spray, a new intranasal corticosteroid preparation, and disodium cromoglycate 2% aqueous nasal spray, an established preventive treatment for seasonal allergic rhinitis, were compared in a double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-group, multicentric study in France. A total of 218 patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis caused by grass pollen (verified by positive skin prick test) were preventively treated before the onset of the grass pollen season with either fluticasone propionate 200 micrograms once daily or disodium cromoglycate 5.2 mg four times daily. Half of these doses was given in each nostril. Treatment started before the onset of the pollen season in most patients (178/218). Diary cards, including symptoms of rhinitis and usage of nasal sprays, were filled in twice daily for 6 weeks. Terfenadine in 60-mg tablets and eye-drops could be used as rescue medications. We treated 110 patients with fluticasone propionate and 108 patients with disodium cromoglycate. Patients treated with fluticasone propionate had significantly more days free of primary efficacy symptoms of sneezing (P < 0.001) and nasal discharge during the day (P = 0.002), as well as free of all the other nasal symptoms (P < 0.01), and significantly lower median scores (P < 0.05) for all nasal symptoms except nasal discharge than patients treated with disodium cromoglycate. There was no difference in eye symptoms or in rescue medication use between the two groups. Compliance with the treatment was assessed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)