title: Eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection equally improves chronic urticaria with positive and negative autologous serum skin test.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the study was to examine effects of Helicobacter pylori eradication on chronic idiopathic urticaria (CU) with and without positive aulogous serum skin test (ASST).
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-eight patients with CU were checked for the positivity ASST and H. pylori urea (13)C-urea breath test ((13)C-UBT). Twenty-one patients were with both positive ASST and positive (13)C-UBT (group A), and 24 patients were with negative ASST and positive (13)C-UBT (group B). All patients with positive (13)C-UBT received a 14-day, open treatment with amoxicillin 1 g b.i.d., clarithromycin 500 mg b.i.d., and omeprazole 20 mg b.i.d. H. pylori eradication was assessed by a second (13)C-UBT after 8 weeks. In control group, 33 patients with CU were included. The effect of H. pylori eradication on CU was evaluated by urticaria activity score (UAS), measured at study entry and at 8 and 16 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At week 8, baseline UAS reduced from 4.7 +/- 1.1 to 2.4 +/- 1.4 (p = .027) in group A and from 4.3 +/- 1.5 to 2.3 +/- 1.2 (p = .008) in group B, without statistically significant difference between the two groups. In control group and in six patients with H. pylori eradication failure, no changes of UAS were noted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Eradication of H. pylori infection by triple therapy significantly and equally reduces UAS in CU patients with positive and negative ASST.
authors.affiliation: Medicine B Department, Barzilai Medical Center, Ben Gurion University of Negev, Ashkelon, Israel. allergologycom@gmail.com
authors.forename: Eli
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Magen
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mishal
authors.forename: Menachem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schlesinger
authors.forename: Shimon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scharf
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000658:Amoxicillin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D002908:Chronic Disease; D017291:Clarithromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009853:Omeprazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012882:Skin Tests / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014581:Urticaria / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents; D001323:Autoantibodies; D000658:Amoxicillin; D017291:Clarithromycin; D009853:Omeprazole