Mast cell stabilizing properties of antihistamines

Abstract

Histamine is a key mediator of allergic inflammation, primarily through competitive antagonism of binding to H1 receptors. In this issue, Weller and Maurer report that the H1 antagonist desloratadine possesses mast cell-stabilizing properties when challenged in an IgE-dependent or-independent fashion. Thus, desloratadine provides benefits that are independent of H1 receptor binding and based on mast cell stabilization. © 2009 The Society for Investigative Dermatology.