Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria: An Etiopathogenic Study.

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Dermatology
• Allergy

Background:

• The exact causes of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) are not fully understood.
• Potential factors include infections, pseudoallergens, autoimmunity, and contact sensitization.
• Limited research exists on cytokine levels in CSU patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate etiological factors in CSU.
• To measure levels of Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) in CSU patients and controls.
• To explore correlations between etiologies and cytokine levels in CSU.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving 60 CSU patients and 60 healthy controls.
• Assessment of etiological factors including autoimmunity, infections, and contact sensitization via allergy skin tests (ASST) and patch testing.
• Measurement of IL-6 and IFN-γ levels, and anti-thyroid antibodies.

Main Results:

• Etiology was identified in 75% of CSU patients, with autoimmunity (50%) and contact sensitization (21.67%) being most common.
• Significantly higher levels of IL-6, IFN-γ, and anti-thyroid antibodies were observed in CSU patients compared to controls.
• Elevated IFN-γ levels correlated with higher urticaria activity scores (UAS7).

Conclusions:

• Autoimmunity and contact sensitization are significant etiological factors in CSU.
• Elevated IL-6 and IFN-γ suggest the involvement of both Th1 and Th2 immune responses in CSU pathogenesis.
• ASST, patch testing, and anti-thyroid antibody assessment are valuable diagnostic tools for CSU.