Effect of nifedipine on skin prick tests

The immediate skin test due to interaction between allergen and mast cell bound IgE is one of the cornerstones in the clinical allergy workup. The release of histamine and other mediators from basophils and mast cells depends on the influx of Ca2+ into these cells when stimulated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of common therapeutic doses of nifedipine (NFD), one of the calcium channel blockers, on the allergen skin tests. We prick tested 23 grass sensitive individuals with 7 different grass pollens at three times: at basal conditions (T0), 30 min. after having taken 20 mg of NFD s. l. (T1), and 17 of them after a week of receiving twice a day 20 mg of a NFD retard form (T2). The wheal surface obtained for each substance (allergen, histamine) at T0 was considered as basal value and compared with the one obtained at T1 and T2 for the same substance by the Wilcoxon's test. We found a significant increase in the wheal surfaces, both with allergen and histamine, at T1 and T2. In contrast to what could be expected, common therapeutic doses of NFD produce a discrete but statistically significant increase of the PT. Factors such as arteriolar vasodilation could be implicated. The increase of the allergen prick test and the increase of the histamine prick test both at T1 and T2 were not statistically different. Therefore, we do not think it necessary to stop NFD before allergen skin testing.