Effects of a single dose of loratadine on flying ability under conditions of simulated cabin pressure.

Pilots with allergic diseases, who need antihistaminic drug therapy, have to be grounded temporarily because this therapy is considered to interfere with flight safety due to its sedative effects. There is evidence that loratadine is practically void of these sedative effects, and therefore might be prescribed to pilots. A study was conducted to determine the effects of loratadine on performance and alertness. In a randomized, double-blind, within subjects design, 18 male subjects were studied, employing loratadine 10 mg, triprolidine hydrochloride 5 mg, and placebo. Objective (vigilance, complex tasks) and subjective tests, tailored to the specific tasks of aircrew, were applied under hypobaric conditions that prevail in an intact cockpit. With respect to alertness and performance, the results of this study showed no significant differences between loratadine and placebo during a period of 1 to 6 hours after drug ingestion. Triprolidine, used as a positive control, showed significant detrimental effects on both subjective and objective measures. It is anticipated that a single dose of loratadine 10 mg will not affect flying performance. This finding might also have implications for the treatment of allergic disorders of personnel involved in other highly skilled jobs.

Nasal discharge and obstruction as presenting symptoms of Wegener's granulomatosis in childhood.

A case with nasal manifestations as presenting symptoms of Wegener's granulomatosis in childhood is discussed. The diagnostic and treatment modalities are reviewed with emphasis on the specific problems concerning the side effects of treatment on the child.

Mutation in mitochondrial tRNA(Leu)(UUR) gene in a large pedigree with maternally transmitted type II diabetes mellitus and deafness.

Non-insulin-dependent (type II) diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is characterized by hyperglycaemia and insulin resistance, and affects nearly 5% of the general population. Inherited factors are important for its development, but the genes involved are unknown. We have identified a large pedigree in which NIDDM, in combination with a sensorineural hearing loss, is maternally inherited. The maternal inheritance and the observed decrease in mitochondrial enzyme activities of the respiratory chain indicate a genetic defect in the mitochondrial DNA. An A to G transition was identified at nucleotide 3,243, a conserved position in the mitochondrial gene for tRNA(Leu)(UUR). This mutation cosegregates with the disease in this family and is absent in controls, and indicates that a point mutation in mitochondrial DNA is a pathogenetic factor for NIDDM.