Chronic Urticaria and Helicobacter Pylori.

Abstract

Chronic urticaria can result from multiple causes. A number of factors have been identified that can appear to be important in the pathogenesis of individual cases;including intolerance to food;drugs;some internal diseases and some infections. Recently a possible relationship between chronic urticaria and Helicobacter pylori has been suggested. One hundred and twenty-five patients were investigated for Helicobacter pylori infection by means of ELISA assay and 13C urea-breath tests. When the two tests were positive;gastric biopsy was performed after informed consent. Patients with Helicobacter pylori infection were randomly assigned to receive triple therapy for the eradication of bacterium for one week;or no treatment. As controls;25 patients with chronic urticaria and with negative results on ELISA and urea-breath tests were treated with the same triple therapy course. Forty-six unrelated blood donors of both sexes were examined for the presence of anti-Helicobacter pylori antibodies in the normal population. Seventy-eight patients had circulating specific IgG antibodies against the bacterium and positive urea-breath tests. Among these patients;31 received eradication therapy;34 were enrolled in the control group;and 13 patients neglected the study. Three patients in the eradication therapy group showed complete remission of urticaria after 12 months of follow-up as compared with 1 patient in the control group. Twenty blood donors out of 46 were IgG anti-Helicobacter pylori positive. In conclusion;our data show that the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection is high in chronic urticaria patients;but eradication of the bacterium does not appear to influence the skin disorders nor the symptoms.