title: Influence of narrowband UVB irradiation of serum on autologous serum skin test results.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Autologous serum skin test (ASST) is an in vivo test to demonstrate circulating endogenous proinflammatory or wheal-inducing factors in urticaria patients. While ASST was negative in a patient with solar urticaria and in a patient with localized heat urticaria, test results turned to positive when performed with visible light-irradiated and heated serums, respectively. These data suggest that some factors and/or antibodies in serum may be activated or inhibited with different factors. We aimed to investigate whether or not ASST results change when performed with narrowband ultraviolet B (UVB)-irradiated serum.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-seven patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria underwent ASST twice in consecutive days. The second ASST was performed with narrowband UVB-irradiated serum. The results of the first and second ASSTs were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The first ASST results were positive in 46 (59.7%) patients. ASST results reversed oppositely in 36 (46.8%) patients, turned from negative to positive in 19 patients, and turned from positive to negative in 17 patients when performed with narrowband UVB-irradiated serum.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that narrowband UVB may have modifying effects on some wheal-inducing factors and/or antibodies. On which factors in serum narrowband UVB has effects may be investigated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Pamukkale University, Faculty of Medicine, Denizli, Turkey. arnd.jacobi@med.unimarburg.de
authors.forename: Nida
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kaçar
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Pamukkale University, Faculty of Medicine, Denizli, Turkey. arnd.jacobi@med.unimarburg.de
authors.forename: Nida
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kaar
authors.forename: Levent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Taşli
authors.forename: Berna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sanlı
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Topsakal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D044967:Serum / Q000276:immunology; D012882:Skin Tests / Q000379:methods*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014467:Ultraviolet Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D014581:Urticaria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D001798:Blood Proteins