title: Cyclosporin-A efficacy in chronic idiopathic urticaria.
abstract: Common drugs in the therapy of chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) include antihistamines alone or combined with corticosteroids, but severe unresponsive patients require alternative treatments. This retrospective study aims to evaluate clinical response and safety of low-dose and long-term oral Cyclosporin-A (CyA) in unresponsive patients. One hundred and ten CIU patients, unresponsive to a previous treatment (antihistamines plus prednisone 0.2 mg/kg/day), received additional oral CyA 13 mg/kg/day for 6 months. The patients were subdivided into three groups (A, B, C) according to the different CyA doses. Parameters of clinical efficacy including pruritus, and size and number of wheals were evaluated at baseline, after three and six months. All adverse events were recorded. The mean total symptom severity score decreased by 63% in Group A, 76% in Group B, and 85% in Group C after 6 months. Total disappearance of the symptoms was recorded in 43 patients (39.1%): 7 (28%) of Group A; 12 (37.5%) of Group B and 24 (45%) of Group C. After a mean of 2 months from CyA suspension, 14 patients (11%) had recurrence of symptoms. Minor side effects were noted in 8 patients (7%). Our study indicates that low-dose, long-term CyA therapy is efficacious and safe in severe unresponsive CIU.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University of Bari Medical School Bari, Italy. elisabettadl@alice.it
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Di Leo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nettis
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Aloia
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moschetta
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carbonara
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dammacco
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vacca
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014581:Urticaria / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D016572:Cyclosporine