Correlations between disease activity, autoimmunity and biological parameters in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria

BACKGROUND: Biomarkers of disease activity/severity and criteria of autoimmune chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) are still a matter of debate. OBJECTIVE: To investigate possible correlations between clinical and biological markers and their associations with: (i) disease activity; (ii) resistance to H1-antihistamines; (iii) autoimmunity; and (iiii) autologous serum skin test (ASST) in patients with CSU. To also analyze biological parameter modifications in patients with CSU treated with omalizumab. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Disease activity, H1-antihistamines response and presence of concomitant autoimmune disease were prospectively recorded in 95 patients with CSU. For 60 of them, ASST was performed. Broad biological analysis were performed. RESULTS: C-reactive protein (CRP) serum levels were higher in H1-antihistamines unresponders (p