Frequency and clinical implications of skin autoreactivity to serum versus plasma in patients with chronic urticaria

• Published in: Journal of allergy and clinical immunology Vol. 123; no. 3; pp. 705 - 706
• Main Authors: Metz, Martin, MD, Giménez-Arnau, Ana, MD, Borzova, Elena, MD, Grattan, Clive E.H., MA, MD, Magerl, Markus, MD, Maurer, Marcus, MD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Mosby, Inc 01.03.2009; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Allergy and Immunology; Chronic Disease; Drug therapy; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Plasma; Plasma - immunology; Quality of life; Serum - immunology; Skin - immunology; Skin Tests; Urticaria - blood; Urticaria - immunology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0091-6749; 1097-6825
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2008.11.040

In 154 patients the severity of symptoms was recorded by using the weekly urticaria activity score (UAS 7), and impairment in quality of life was assessed in 156 patients by using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), as described previously.6 In confirmation of previously published findings, skin reactivity to autologous serum (positive ASST result) was found in 37.5% of all 200 patients with CU tested (Fig 1), and only slightly higher numbers of patients exhibited skin reactivity to autologous plasma (positive APST result, 43.0%), which is in contrast to a previous report in which up to 86% of patients with CU were found to have positive APST results.4 The results for skin autoreactivity were found to be comparable in all 3 study centers and ranged from 42.9% to 43.8% (positive APST result) and 32% to 50% (positive ASST result).