Is the histamine skin test inhibited by prednisone?

ABSTRACT

Background. A clinical trial was carried out to determine whether therapeutic doses of prednisone could inhibit the response to the histamine skin test. Methods. Forty-five male and female asthmatic and allergic patients participated in the study, their ages ranged from 6-14 years old (16 girls and 29 boys). The clinical trial was random, double-blind, and placebo-controlled. Methods. Three treatment groups were formed and patients were assigned randomly to them. Groups A and B received prednisone at 0.5 and 1 mg/kg/day, respectively, whereas group C received a placebo (p.o.). All treatment lasted for 10 days. The histamine test was applied on the first, fifth and tenth days of treatment, and the size of the wheal and the extension of the flare were evaluated 5 min after the application of the test. The statistical tool used was ANOVA, since the study sought to see the difference among the treatment groups, after including 45 patients in three groups of 15 patietns each. Results. No significant statistical difference was observed among the groups using and ANOVA test. Conclusions. It was concluded that the response to the histamine test was not modified by a 10-day treatment with prednisone at doses of 0.5 mg/kg/day and 1 mg/kg/day