title: Chronic urticaria and hormones: Is there a link?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  While the role of oestrogens in bradykinin angioedema (AE) has been clearly demonstrated, scarce data are available about the role of sex hormones in chronic urticaria (CU).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To gather information from a population of women with various forms of CU [chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), including a subtype of isolated histaminic AE and a classic subtype of association of wheals and AE, and exclusive inducible urticaria (IU)] about the impact of sex hormones and reproductive factors on their symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional study comprising interviews of 200 women consulting for CU at nine centres throughout France between May and July 2013. The dermatologists filled in an online questionnaire on the impact of reproductive factors (puberty, contraception and pregnancy) and hormonal treatments on the course of CU, including CSU and IU, in the presence of the women.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most of the women did not experience CU before puberty and if so, puberty did not influence the course of CU. Only 16 women had experienced a pregnancy during CU which caused a worsening of symptoms in four. Hormonal contraception was associated with aggravation in a minority of women, mostly women with CSU (10%). Women with isolated histaminic AE did not exhibit any female sex hormone dependency.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It would appear that sex hormones act as a trigger in only a small subset of women with CU. Nevertheless, this should be taken into account to improve patient management.
authors.affiliation: Service de Dermatologie-Allergologie, Hôpital Tenon, HUEP, APHP, Paris, France.|GUS: Groupe Urticaire de la Société Française de Dermatologie, France.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Amsler
authors.affiliation: GUS: Groupe Urticaire de la Société Française de Dermatologie, France.|Université Lyon1, INSERM U1111 - CIRI, Hôpitaux de Lyon, CH Lyon-Sud, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Augey
authors.affiliation: Service de Dermatologie-Allergologie, Hôpital Tenon, HUEP, APHP, Paris, France.|GUS: Groupe Urticaire de la Société Française de Dermatologie, France.|Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Unité Mixte de Recherche de Santé (UMR S) CR7, Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses - Paris (Cimi-Paris), INSERM U1135, Paris, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soria
authors.affiliation: GUS: Groupe Urticaire de la Société Française de Dermatologie, France.|Clinique Universitaire de Médecine Interne, CHU de Grenoble, Grenoble Cedex, France.|Centre National de Référence des Angiœdèmes (CRéAK), France.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Boccon-Gibod
authors.affiliation: GUS: Groupe Urticaire de la Société Française de Dermatologie, France.|Service de Dermatologie, Hôpital Saint-André, CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Doutre
authors.affiliation: Service de Dermatologie-Allergologie, Hôpital Tenon, HUEP, APHP, Paris, France.|GUS: Groupe Urticaire de la Société Française de Dermatologie, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mathelier-Fusade
authors.affiliation: GUS: Groupe Urticaire de la Société Française de Dermatologie, France.|Université Lyon1, INSERM U1111 - CIRI, Hôpitaux de Lyon, CH Lyon-Sud, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Nicolas
authors.affiliation: GUS: Groupe Urticaire de la Société Française de Dermatologie, France.|Centre National de Référence des Angiœdèmes (CRéAK), France.|Service de Dermatologie, hôpital St Eloi, Montpellier Cedex, France.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rayson-Peyron
authors.affiliation: GUS: Groupe Urticaire de la Société Française de Dermatologie, France.|Centre National de Référence des Angiœdèmes (CRéAK), France.|Unité de Gynécologie Endocrinienne, Université Paris Descartes, APHP, Port Royal Cochin, Paris, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gompel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D014581:Urticaria / Q000209:etiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones