Autologous serum and plasma skin test to predict 2-year outcome in chronic spontaneous urticaria

BACKGROUND Autologous serum skin test (ASST) and autologous plasma skin test (APST) are simple methods to diagnose autoimmune chronic urticaria. However, the association data of ASST or APST with disease severity and long-term outcome are still unclear. OBJECTIVE The results of ASST and APST might be used to predict urticaria symptom severity and long-term outcomes among chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) patients. METHODS We evaluated the prevalence of reactive ASST and APST in 128 CSU patients. The patients were characterized by 4 groups: negative, ASST positive, APST positive, and both ASST and APST positive. We observed remission rate among the CSU patients during 2 years. RESULTS Forty-four of 128 CSU patients (34%) had negative autologous skin test. The CSU patients with positive ASST, positive APST, and both positive ASST and APST were 47 (37%), 6 (5%), and 31 (24%), respectively. No significant difference was found between the groups according to urticaria severity score (USS) and dermatology life quality index (DLQI). Mean wheal diameter of ASST showed positive correlation with DLQI. Also, mean wheal diameter of APST showed positive correlation with USS and DLQI. Both the positive ASST and APST groups had a high proportion of 4-fold dose of H1-antihistamine than the positive ASST (p = 0.03) and negative groups (p = 0.0009). The rate of remission over 2 years in the negative, positive ASST, positive APST, and both positive ASST and APST groups were 81.1%, 62.3%, 60%, and 46.1%, respectively. The urticaria remission rate in patients in the negative group was significantly higher compared with both positive ASST and APST groups (odds ratio, 5.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.61-15.44; p = 0.006). CONCLUSION ASST and APST results could predict remission rates among patients with CSU. Our results suggested investigating ASST and APST among CSU patients before starting treatment.