Chronic idiopathic urticaria: comparison of clinical features with positive autologous serum skin test.
BACKGROUND
Chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU), in its extremely severe form, can pose a therapeutic challenge to the treating physician. It has been noted that in one third of such patients, autoantibodies against the IgE receptor are seen and such patients have more severe and unremitting urticaria.


OBJECTIVE
To compare clinical features of autoimmune urticaria with those of other CIU patients.


METHODS
We conducted a prospective study in an attempt to correlate the clinical features with autoantibodies, indirectly detected via the autologous serum skin test (ASST), which is the simplest and the best in vivo clinical test for detection of basophil histamine-releasing activity.


CONCLUSIONS
Out of 100 patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria, 34 showed a positive reaction to the autologous serum skin test and it was found that the frequency and severity of attacks was higher in these patients.


CONCLUSIONS
ASST may be used as a simple and cost-effective test for the classification of chronic urticaria, which has proven to be a therapeutic challenge to the treating physician.
George
Mamatha
M
Department of Skin and STD, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal-576 104, India.
Balachandran
C
C
Prabhu
Smitha
S
D000328:Adult; D015549:Basophil Degranulation Test / Q000379:methods*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012882:Skin Tests / Q000379:methods; D014581:Urticaria / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology