title: Role of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and Helicobacter pylori infection in chronic spontaneous urticaria: a prospective analysis.
abstract: The aim of this study is to assess the associations between chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), Helicobacter pylori infection and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Forty- eight patients with CSU were studied by scoring the urticaria activity and assesing the quality of life. Patients with H. pylori infection (n=11) or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (n=13) were specifically treated for one week and clinically evaluated both before and 4 weeks after the eradication therapy. Eradication of H. pylori infection led to a significant improvement in CSU (p<0.002). In contrast, eradication of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth was not associated with any clinical improvement in CSU, despite the fact that these patients had statistically significant more urticaria activity at baseline. Thus there is no evidence to support the eradication of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in CSU, but eradication of H. pylori infection may result in an improvement of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Dermatological Clinic, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Polytechnic Marche University, IT-60200 Ancona, Italy. anna.campanati@gmail.com
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Campanati
authors.forename: Rosaria
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gesuita
authors.forename: Melania
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giannoni
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Piraccini
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sandroni
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martina
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Conocchiari
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bendia
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Sario
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Offidani
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000254:growth & development*; D006801:Humans; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology*; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014581:Urticaria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents