title: Chronic urticaria and associated coeliac disease in children: a case-control study.
abstract: Celiac disease (CD) and chronic urticaria (CU) are both sustained by immune mechanisms, but there are so far few data on their clinical association. We performed a case-control study to determine the occurrence of CD in urticaria and matched control children, and to assess the clinical relevance of this association. Children and adolescents were diagnosed to have severe chronic idiopathic urticaria in the presence of hives for more than 6 wk poorly or not responsive to oral antihistamines. Other known causes of urticaria had to be excluded. A matched control group without urticaria was enrolled. In both groups, the presence of CD was searched by assaying antitransglutaminase and antiedomysial antibodies, and confirmed with endoscopic intestinal biopsy. Results. CD was diagnosed and confirmed in 4/79 (5.0%) of children with CU and in 17/2545 (0.67%) of the controls (p = 0.0003). In the four children with urticaria and CD the gluten free diet (GFD) lead to complete remission of urticaria within 5-10 wk, whereas the disappearance of serological markers occurred in longer times (5-9 months).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of CD in children with CU was significantly more frequent than in controls. GFD resulted in urticaria remission. CD may be regarded in such subjects as a cause of CU.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Allergy Unit, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 98125 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Caminiti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Passalacqua
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Magazzù
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Comisi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vita
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barberio
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sferlazzas
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Pajno
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005983:Glutens; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014581:Urticaria / Q000150:complications* / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D005983:Glutens