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The frequency of nasal carriage in chronic urticaria patients

I Ertam1, S E Yuksel Biyikli, F Akin Yazkan

  • 1Ege University Medical Faculty, Department of Dermatology, Bornova-Izmir, Turkey. iertam@mail.ege.edu.tr

Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV
|June 15, 2007
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Chronic urticaria patients show higher Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage than controls, suggesting it as a potential infection focus. Mupirocin resistance was observed, necessitating alternative treatments for this common skin condition.

Area of Science:

  • Dermatology
  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Chronic urticaria (CU) is a common skin condition with unknown etiology in most cases.
  • Infections are frequently suspected as a cause of chronic urticaria.
  • Nasal carriage of bacteria is a potential occult focus of infection.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the frequency of Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage in patients with chronic urticaria.
  • To determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of S. aureus isolates from nasal carriage in CU patients.
  • To explore nasal carriage as a potential etiological factor in chronic urticaria.

Main Methods:

  • A case-control study involving 94 chronic urticaria patients and 30 healthy controls.
  • Nasal swab specimens were collected and cultured for bacterial growth.
  • Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed on isolated Staphylococcus aureus strains.

Main Results:

  • Staphylococcus aureus was detected in 53.2% of chronic urticaria patients versus 13.3% of controls.
  • A statistically significant higher prevalence of S. aureus nasal carriage was observed in CU patients.
  • The most effective antibiotics against S. aureus isolates included cefaclor, ceftriaxone, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, amikacin, netilmicin, and fucidic acid.
  • Resistance to mupirocin, a common nasal carriage treatment, was noted.

Conclusions:

  • Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus is significantly more frequent in patients with chronic urticaria.
  • Nasal carriage should be considered as a potential occult infectious focus in the etiology of chronic urticaria.
  • The observed resistance to mupirocin highlights the need for alternative therapeutic strategies.

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