title: Chronic spontaneous urticaria is characterized by lower serum advanced glycation end-products.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is associated with activation of acute phase response. On the other hand, it is known that systemic inflammation may lead to increased formation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), associated with pathogenesis of various diseases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aim to test whether chronic inflammation manifested by activated acute phase response may provide a mechanism for increased serum AGEs concentration in CSU.
  
  
  METHODS
  Concentrations of AGEs were measured spectrofluorimetrically in serum of CSU patients and the healthy subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum AGEs and albumin concentrations in CSU patients were significantly lower as compared with the healthy subjects. Serum CRP concentration was significantly higher in patients with CSU than in the controls. Significant positive correlation was observed between AGEs and albumin concentrations in the subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CSU is not associated with increased circulating AGEs concentrations, despite the enhanced systemic inflammatory response. Paradoxical decrease of serum AGEs concentrations is probably a reflection of lower concentration of "negative acute phase proteins" such as albumin.
authors.affiliation: Chair and Clinical Department of Internal Diseases, Dermatology and Allergology, Ulica M. Curie-Skłodowskiej 10, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland.
authors.forename: Alicja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grzanka
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Ulica Jordana 19, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, 41-808 Zabrze, Poland.
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Damasiewicz-Bodzek
authors.affiliation: Chair and Department of Paediatrics, Ulica 3 Maja 13-15, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland.
authors.forename: Edyta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Machura
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Ulica Jordana 19, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, 41-808 Zabrze, Poland.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szumska
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Ulica Jordana 19, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, 41-808 Zabrze, Poland.
authors.forename: Krystyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tyrpień-Golder
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Ulica Jordana 19, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, 41-808 Zabrze, Poland.
authors.forename: Bogdan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mazur
authors.affiliation: Chair and Clinical Department of Internal Diseases, Dermatology and Allergology, Ulica M. Curie-Skłodowskiej 10, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland.
authors.forename: Alicja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kasperska-Zajac
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018746:Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D014581:Urticaria / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced