Correlations between interrelated autoantibodies and the development of chronic idiopathic urticaria

Objective To estimate the correlations between chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) development and interrelated autoantibodies,including anti-high affinity immunoglobulin E receptor (anti-FceRI) antibody,anti-immunoglobulin E (anti-IgE) antibody,anti-Helicobacter pylori (HP) antibody and antithyroglobulin antibody (TGAb).Methods This study included 100 patients with CIU,100 patients with acute urticaria (AU) and 100 healthy controls.Autologous serum skin test (ASST) was performed and allergens were detected by fluorescence-based enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in each subject.Serum levels of total IgE,anti-FceRI antibody,anti-IgE antibody,anti-HP antibody and TGAb were measured.Chi-square test,analysis of variance,and Wilcoxon rank sum test were conducted for statistical analysis.Results The positivity rate of ASST was 53％,12％ and 0 respectively in patients with CIU,patients with AU and healthy controls,respectively.Food or inhalant allergens were detected in 86％ of the patients with AU,but not detected in any of the patients with CIU or healthy controls.Patients with CIU showed significantly higher levels of anti-FceRI antibody and anti-IgE antibody compared with patients with AU and healthy controls (all P ＜ 0.05).The serum IgE level in healthy controls was statistically lower than that in patients with AU (T =226.00,P ＜ 0.05),but higher than that in patients with CIU (T =190.00,P ＜ 0.05).ASST-positive patients with CIU had a higher level of serum anti-FceRI antibody (T =101.73,P ＜ 0.05),but a similar level of serum anti-IgE antibody compared with ASST-negative patients with CIU (T =312.04,P ＞ 0.05).No significant differences were observed in the positivity rate of anti-HP antibody (29％,19％ and 23％,P ＞ 0.05) or TGAb (18％,15％ and 11％,P ＞ 0.05) between the patients with CIU,patients with AU and healthy controls.Both anti-HP antibody-positive patients and TGAb-positive patients with CIU showed a significantly higher positivity rate of anti-FceRI antibody (all P ＜ 0.01),but a similar positivity rate of anti-IgE antibody compared with the patients with AU and healthy controls (all P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions Anti-FceRI antibody and anti-IgE antibody are present in patients with CIU,and may play a certain role in the pathogenesis of CIU. Key words: Urticaria;  Autoantibodies;  Immunoglobulin E;  Skin tests