Herpesvirus-associated acute urticaria: an age matched case-control study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Infectious Diseases
• Dermatology
• Virology

Background:

• Acute and recurrent urticaria are multifactorial, with infections being a common trigger.
• Emerging evidence suggests a potential role for herpesviruses in the development of urticaria.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between herpesvirus infections and acute or recurrent acute urticaria.
• To test the hypothesis that there is no link between herpesvirus infections and urticaria.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving 37 children with urticaria and 37 age-matched controls.
• Real-time PCR was used to detect DNA of herpes simplex virus (HSV) types 1 and 2, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6).
• Patients and controls were monitored for 1-6 years, with additional testing for other common infections.

Main Results:

• Specific infections were identified in 26 of 37 cases (70%) and 9 of 37 controls (24%), P=0.0002.
• Herpesvirus infections were significantly more prevalent in cases (24/37, 65%) compared to controls (4/37, 11%), P=0.0003.
• Commonly detected herpesviruses included HHV-6 (10 cases), CMV (8 cases), EBV (5 cases), and HSV-1 (4 cases).

Conclusions:

• Herpesvirus infections are significantly associated with acute or recurrent acute urticaria in children.
• The findings support a causal role for herpesviruses in the pathogenesis of urticaria.
• Further research into antiviral therapies for urticaria may be warranted.