TY - JOUR
T1 - No evidence of increased serum substance P levels in chronic urticaria patients with and without demonstrable circulating vasoactive factors
AU - Tedeschi, A.
AU - Lorini, M.
AU - Asero, R.
PY - 2005/3
Y1 - 2005/3
N2 - The neuropeptide substance P is a possible candidate as histamine-releasing factor in some patients with chronic ordinary urticaria (COU), particularly in those with evidence of a nonautoantibody circulating histamine-releasing factor. In this study, serum substance P levels were measured by enzyme immunoassay in 117 COU patients, 40 atopic subjects and 24 normal subjects. In vivo and in vitro assays for histamine-releasing factors, autologous serum skin test (ASST) and basophil histamine release (BHR) assay, respectively, were performed in all COU patients. Mean serum substance P concentration was not significantly different in COU patients and in normal subjects; however, significantly higher levels were detected in atopic subjects than in COU patients (P <0.003). ASST and BHR assays allowed us to distinguish different subsets of COU patients. Mean serum substance P concentration did not vary significantly in the different subsets of patients. Nevertheless, interestingly three patients with positive ASST and negative BHR assay showed very high substance P levels. These results suggest that substance P does not play an important role as histamine-releasing factor in COU in general but only in occasional patients in whom it might act as a trigger of urticarial symptoms.
AB - The neuropeptide substance P is a possible candidate as histamine-releasing factor in some patients with chronic ordinary urticaria (COU), particularly in those with evidence of a nonautoantibody circulating histamine-releasing factor. In this study, serum substance P levels were measured by enzyme immunoassay in 117 COU patients, 40 atopic subjects and 24 normal subjects. In vivo and in vitro assays for histamine-releasing factors, autologous serum skin test (ASST) and basophil histamine release (BHR) assay, respectively, were performed in all COU patients. Mean serum substance P concentration was not significantly different in COU patients and in normal subjects; however, significantly higher levels were detected in atopic subjects than in COU patients (P <0.003). ASST and BHR assays allowed us to distinguish different subsets of COU patients. Mean serum substance P concentration did not vary significantly in the different subsets of patients. Nevertheless, interestingly three patients with positive ASST and negative BHR assay showed very high substance P levels. These results suggest that substance P does not play an important role as histamine-releasing factor in COU in general but only in occasional patients in whom it might act as a trigger of urticarial symptoms.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=15044366313&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=15044366313&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1365-2230.2005.01732.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1365-2230.2005.01732.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 15725248
AN - SCOPUS:15044366313
VL - 30
SP - 171
EP - 175
JO - Clinical and Experimental Dermatology
JF - Clinical and Experimental Dermatology
SN - 0307-6938
IS - 2
ER -