Clinicoepidemiological Profile of Patients with Chronic Urticaria and its Association with D-dimer Levels at a Tertiary Care Centre: A Prospective Cohort Study
Introduction: Chronic urticaria is a commonly encountered, long-standing skin condition that typically lasts for more than six weeks and has various underlying aetiologies, including chronic infections, infestations, immunological and non immunological causes, and physical factors. In some cases...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
JCDR Research and Publications Private Limited
2023-12-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.jcdr.net/articles/PDF/18780/66909_CE[Ra1]_F(SS)_QC&REF(KK_IS)_PF1(RI_OM)_PFA(RI_OM)_PN(KM).pdf |
| Summary: | Introduction: Chronic urticaria is a commonly encountered,
long-standing skin condition that typically lasts for more than six
weeks and has various underlying aetiologies, including chronic
infections, infestations, immunological and non immunological
causes, and physical factors. In some cases, it may be
idiopathic. Recent studies have shown that the activation of the
coagulation cascade is involved in the development of chronic
urticaria. This involvement is reflected in plasma D-dimer levels,
which are explored in the current study.
Aim: To assess the epidemiological and clinical characteristics
of urticaria and their association with D-dimer levels in a tertiary
care centre.
Materials and Methods: This prospective cohort study was
conducted at Department of Dermatology, Great Eastern Medical
School and Hospital, Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh, India, from
August 2022 to July 2023. The study included 100 chronic urticaria
patients attending the dermatology Outpatient Department (OPD)
to investigate various clinical types and their epidemiological
factors. D-dimer levels were estimated using the latex-enhanced
immunoturbidimetry assay method. The mean and range were
calculated, and statistical analysis of various clinic-epidemiological
characteristics was performed using Pearson’s Chi-square test. A
p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: Among the 100 patients with chronic urticaria, 40
(40%) were males and 60 (60%) were females. The mean age
of presentation was 30 years, and the mean duration was 20.5
months. Elevated plasma D-dimer levels were noted in 40
(40%) of the study population. Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria
(CSU) constituted 92 (92%) of the cases, followed by Chronic
Inducible Urticaria (CIU) with 4 (4%) cases and 4 (4%) cases
with CSU+CIU. Angioedema was noted in 20 (20%) of the cases
in the present study. Thyroid disorder was seen in 12 (12%) of
the study population. The majority of patients (44%) had mild
urticaria. The mean Urticaria Activity Score (UAS) score before
treatment was 21.08. A statistically significant association was
found between elevated plasma D-dimer levels and age range,
duration of chronic urticaria, disease severity, angioedema, and
response to antihistamines. The response to antihistamines
was graded based on the UAS7 score calculated before and
after treatment.
Conclusion: The present study provides additional evidence to
the existing literature by establishing an association between
D-dimer levels and factors such as severity and angioedema. It
also provides important insights into the relationship between
age range, duration of chronic urticaria, and elevated plasma
D-dimer levels by establishing statistical significance between
these factors. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2249-782X 0973-709X |