Correlations between Anti-Mast Cell Autoantibodies and Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria

The etiology of chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) is not completely clear. There are a few antibodies were reported to correlate with CIU.

To investigate the correlation these antibodies and CIU.

The autologous serum skin test (ASST) and allergens were performed. Serum levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE), anti-FcεRI and anti-IgE, anti-Helicobacter pylori (HP) antibodies and anti-thyroglobulin antibody (TGAb) were measured in 100 patients with CIU, acute urticaria (AU) and normal controls respectively.

Eighty-six percent food or inhalant allergens were detected in AU patients, but no allergens were detected in CIU patients and normal controls. Serum anti-FcεRI antibody and anti-IgE antibody levels were higher in the CIU than that in the AU patients and normal controls (p<0.05, respectively). IgE level was lower in the CIU patients (T=190.00, p< 0.05), but increased in the AU patients (T=226.00, p<0.05) compared with the normal controls. The ASST positive rates in the CIU and the AU patients were 53.4% and 12.6% respectively, but all normal controls were negative. The anti-FcεRI antibody level was higher in the ASST-positive CIU patients than those negative ones (T=101.73, p<0.05). In anti-HP antibody positive and TGAb positive CIU patients, anti-FcεRI antibody positive rate was higher than AU patients (p<0.01) and normal controls (p<0.01).

The anti-FcεRI and anti-IgE antibodies play a key role in CIU, but anti-HP antibody and TGAb have an indirect correlation with CIU.