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Serum Periostin Level as a Biomarker in Children with Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria
Gokce Velioglu Haslak1, Deniz Ozceker2, Esra Yucel3
1Department of Pediatrics, Prof. Dr. Cemil Tascioglu City Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey, gokce_velioglu@hotmail.com.
Insights
Children with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) have lower serum periostin levels (SPLs) compared to healthy children. Lower SPLs in CSU patients may indicate reduced immunological activity, suggesting periostin as a potential biomarker.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
- Dermatology
- Biomarker Research
Background:
- Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) lacks specific biomarkers, especially in pediatric populations.
- Periostin, a protein involved in tissue repair and inflammation, is a potential candidate biomarker.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare serum periostin levels (SPLs) in children with CSU versus healthy controls (HCs).
- To assess the correlation between SPLs and disease severity in pediatric CSU.
- To evaluate SPLs as a potential biomarker for CSU in children.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 84 participants (45 with CSU, 39 HCs).
- Serum periostin levels were measured and compared between groups.
- Urticaria Activity Score-7 and Urticaria Control Test were used to assess disease severity.
Main Results:
- Children with CSU exhibited significantly lower SPLs than HCs (p=0.001).
- No significant correlation was found between SPLs and disease activity scores.
- Patients on combination therapy (leukotriene receptor antagonist + antihistamines) had lower SPLs than those on antihistamines alone (p=0.009).
Conclusions:
- This is the first study to report SPLs in pediatric CSU.
- Lower SPLs in children with CSU suggest a potential role in reflecting immunological activity.
- Serum periostin warrants further investigation as a biomarker for pediatric CSU.
Introduction:
Although various biomarkers exist for chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), their use is limited, particularly in children. Periostin is produced during skin damage and inflammation.
Methods:
This cross-sectional study aimed to compare serum periostin levels (SPLs) between children with CSU and age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs). The secondary objective was to investigate the association between SPL and disease severity using the urticaria activity score-7 questionnaire and urticaria control test.
Results:
Overall, 84 participants (CSU, 45; HC, 39) were included in the study. There was no significant correlation between SPL and disease activity scores. Patients receiving leukotriene receptor antagonist plus antihistamines had significantly lower SPL than those receiving antihistamines only (44.32 ± 20.18 vs. 61.33 ± 18.50; p = 0.009). The mean SPL was significantly lower in the patient group than in the control group (56.41 ± 20.32 ng/mL vs. 71.68 ± 20.36 ng/mL; p = 0.001; Cohen's d = 0.750) (aOR: 0.964, 95% CI: 0.942-0.987, p = 0.002). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the SPL was determined to be significant (p = 0.001), and the area under the curve of the ROC curve was 0.705 (95% CI: 0.593-0.817).
Conclusion:
Our study is the first to measure SPL in children with CSU. The results indicated that children with CSU had significantly lower SPL than the HCs. Those on more advanced treatments showed significantly lower SPL. Hence, SPL may reflect immunological activity associated with CSU in children and warrants further investigation in future studies.
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