OBJECTIVE To determine the frequency of autoimmune thyroid disease in diagnosed cases of chronic urticaria (CU) and the association between hypothyroidism and chronic urticaria if any. STUDY DESIGN Non-interventional, descriptive study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Department of Physiology, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, from December 2004 to January 2006. METHODOLOGY The pati...

INTRODUCTION In spite of the impact on quality of life, little attention has been given to chronic urticaria. OBJECTIVE To describe the morbidity and features of urticaria and compare the results with the other allergic diseases included in this study. RESULTS Urticaria is the fourth most prevalent condition after rhinitis, asthma and drug allergy. Despite this position, the number of patie...

OBJECTIVE To determine the frequencies of serum antithyroglobulin and antimicrosomal autoantibodies in female patients with chronic urticaria, and the association between thyroid autoantibodies and chronic urticaria, if any. STUDY DESIGN Non-interventional, case-control analytic study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY This study was carried out by the Department of Physiology, Dow University of ...

The autoimmune polyglandular syndromes are infrequent Alpha-trypsin and complement factors C3 and C4, as well as factor B, were normal. Serological testing for HBV, HCV and HIV proved negative. With the suspicion of autoimmune chronic urticaria (ACU), autologous serum testing was carried out and proved positive, thereby confirming the disease. Following the failure of other treatments with oral...

Cold urticaria can be associated with blood and thyroid disorders, drugs, or infections. Celiac disease is an autoimmune enteropathy caused by permanent gluten intolerance. It is often associated with other autoimmune diseases, such as chronic idiopathic urticaria. Nevertheless, association with cold urticaria has not yet been described. A boy aged 3 years 8 months presented local urticaria-ang...

INTRODUCTION The basophil activation test showing CD63 up regulation could be a specific and sensitive in vitro complementary text to the in vivo autologous serum skin test for the activity assessment of the patients suffering autoimmune chronic spontaneous urticaria. The aim of this study is to define the basophil activation test as a useful tool in clinical practice in order to identify those...

We describe a case of chronic idiopathic urticaria in which symptoms improved dramatically after treatment with omalizumab. This drug, which is approved for the treatment of asthma, has been studied in other allergic conditions and a number of reports have described its efficacy as an immunomodulator in chronic and physical urticaria. Immunopathologic mechanisms are poorly understood. In chroni...

Background: The etiology of urticaria is recognized only in a minority of cases. Allergies to a wide variety of agents have been suspected, as well as hyper reactivity to food additives or drugs. Recently, autoimmune reaction to immunoglobulin E (IgE) and later to high-affinity IgE receptors on mast cells has been reported. The aim of this study was to show elevated serum IgE levels in the pati...