title: Elevated serum B-cell activating factor in patients with chronic urticaria.
abstract: The B and T cells abnormalities that have been described among CU patients, lend support to its regard as an autoimmune disease. In this study we compared serum B-cell activation factor (BAFF) levels in 46 CU patients to 24 healthy controls and evaluated a possible association between elevated serum BAFF in CU patients and the presence of autologous serum skin test, anti-thyroid antibodies, antinuclear antibodies, high total IGE levels, and urticaria disease severity. We found that serum BAFF levels is elevated statistically significant in CU patients compared to healthy control (1228±342 pg/ml vs. 758±313 pg/ml, P<0.0001). CU patients with severe disease activity had significantly higher serum BAFF levels compared to patients with mild CU (1394.6±299.6 vs. 1097.6±221.3, P=0.0008). No association was found between the presence of positive autologous serum skin test, anti-thyroid antibodies or antinuclear antibodies or high levels of total IgE and serum BAFF levels in CU Patients. We conclude that CU patients have higher levels of serum BAFF which associate with disease severity.
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Bnai Zion Medical Center, Technion Faculty of Medicine, Haifa 31048, Israel. aharon.kessel@b-zion.org.il
authors.forename: Aharon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kessel
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yaacoby-Bianu
authors.forename: Zahava
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Vadasz
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Peri
authors.forename: Katy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Halazs
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Toubi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012882:Skin Tests; D014581:Urticaria / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D001323:Autoantibodies; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor; D015415:Biomarkers; C505719:TNFSF13B protein, human; C006606:anti-thyroglobulin; D007073:Immunoglobulin E