Affiliations: Department of Pediatrics, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
Note: [] Corresponding author: Giovanna Vitaliti, Department of
Pediatrics, University of Catania, Catania, Italy. Tel.: +39 95 3782764; Fax:
+39 95 3782385; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: The term "Allergy" actually includes a variety of different diseases
(rhinitis, conjunctivitis, asthma, urticaria, and dermatitis) with a common
pathological basis linked to the release of chemical mediators such as
histamine, platelet-activating factor, arachidonic acid metabolites, and
chemotactic factors secreted by mastocytes, basophils, and eosinophils. The
key-role of leukotrienes (LTs) as mediators in allergic and inflammatory
response justifies possible therapeutic use of leukotriene antagonists in other
allergic diseases beyond asthma. LTs modifiers reduce asthma symptoms,
short-acting beta2-antagonist (SABA) use, and asthma exacerbations, and improve
all indexes of pulmonary function, as measured by the increases in forced
expiratory flow at one second (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF), quality of
life, and indices of bronchial inflammation (blood eosinophils, inflammatory
cells in the bronchial mucosa, exhaled nitric oxide, substance P, neurokinin A,
eosinophil cationic protein, and serum myeloperoxidase). Anti-LTs have also
been successfully used by some authors to control allergic diseases such as
rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, chronic urticaria and allergic conjuncitivitis.
Moreover, recently, new reports have been published concerning other conditions
(migraine prophylaxis, sleep disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, and nasal
polyposis) that broaden the future range of clinical applications. Topical
ocular montelukast can be a potential therapeutic drug with a new route of
administration that can be used for treatment of allergic conjunctivitis.
