title: How Effective is Autologous Serum Therapy in Chronic Autoimmune Urticaria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic autoimmune urticaria (CAU) is one of the most challenging therapeutic problems faced by a dermatologist. Recently, weekly autologous serum injections have been shown to induce a prolonged remission in this disease.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of repeated autologous serum injections in patients with CAU.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy patients of CAU were prospectively analyzed for the efficacy of nine consecutive weekly autologous serum injections with a post-intervention follow-up of 12 weeks. Total urticaria severity score (TSS) was monitored at the baseline, at the end of treatment and lastly at the end of 12 weeks of follow up. Response to treatment was judged by the percentage reduction in baseline TSS at the end of treatment and again at the end of 12 weeks-follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of the 70 patients enrolled, 11 dropped out of the injection treatment after one or the first few doses only. Among the rest of 59 patients, only 7 patients (12%) went into a partial or complete remission and remained so over the follow-up period of 12 weeks. Forty patients (68%) did not demonstrate any significant reduction in TSS at the end of the treatment period. Rest of the 12 patients showed either a good or excellent response while on weekly injection treatment, but all of them relapsed over the follow-up period of 12 weeks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Autologous serum therapy does not seem to lead to any prolonged remission in patients of CAU.
authors: Department of Dermatology, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Kashmir, India.
authors: Imran
authors: I
authors: Majid
authors: Department of Dermatology, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Kashmir, India.
authors: Shazia
authors: S
authors: Shah
authors: Department of Dermatology, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Kashmir, India.
authors: Altaf
authors: A
authors: Hassan
authors: Department of Dermatology, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Kashmir, India.
authors: Saima
authors: S
authors: Aleem
authors: Department of Dermatology, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Kashmir, India.
authors: Khalid
authors: K
authors: Aziz
keywords: Autoimmune urticaria; autologous serum skin test; autologous serum therapy; chronic urticaria; treatment; urticaria
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