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Abstract: Background: Chronic urticaria (CU) is a common disease, characterized by the recurrent appearance of wheals, angioedema, or both for more than 6 weeks. Its underlying biology is not well understood, and many patients do not obtain sufficient relief from recommended treatments. Patient registries are rapidly growing as a form of research, because they can provide powerful, data-driven insights about the epidemiology of diseases, real-world effectiveness of treatments, rare patient types, safety monitoring, healthcare costs, and opportunities for quality improvement of healthcare delivery. Objectives: The Chronic Urticaria Registry (CURE) has been designed to improve the scientific understanding, clinical treatment, and healthcare planning of chronic urticaria patients. This report describes the rationale, methods, and initial implementation of this registry. Methods: CURE is an ongoing, prospective, international, multicenter, observational, voluntary registry of patients with CU. Participation in CURE is open to any physician treating CU patients, regardless of location, medical specialty, or type of practice setting. CURE aims to collect data on all CU patients, with no intentional selection or exclusion criteria. It collects baseline and follow-up data on the patient's demographics, history, symptoms, trigger and risk factors, therapies, and healthcare utilization. Results: CURE is a landmark achievement of the global urticaria medical community. As of 26 February 2020, 39 centers around the world have joined the registry and 35 have entered baseline data on a total of 2946 patients. Publications of this data will be forthcoming soon. Conclusions: CURE is eagerly seeking the participation of more physicians and the support of more governmental, charitable, and commercial sponsors from around the world. Here, in this paper, we invite other physicians to join this unique project to improve the lives of patients with CU.
Keywords: urticaria, registries
DiRROS - Published: 07.10.2020; Views: 512; Downloads: 255
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Abstract: Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically disrupts health care around the globe. The impact of the pandemic on chronic urticaria (CU) and its management are largely unknown. Aim: To understand how CU patients are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic; how specialists alter CU patient management; and the course of CU in patients with COVID-19. Materials and methods: Our cross-sectional, international, questionnaire-based, multicenter UCARE COVID-CU study assessed the impact of the pandemic on patient consultations, remote treatment, changes in medications, and clinical consequences. Results: The COVID-19 pandemic severely impairs CU patient care, with less than 50% of the weekly numbers of patients treated as compared to before the pandemic. Reduced patient referrals and clinic hours were the major reasons. Almost half of responding UCARE physicians were involved in COVID-19 patient care, which negatively impacted on the care of urticaria patients. The rate of face-to-face consultations decreased by 62%, from 90% to less than half, whereas the rate of remote consultations increased by more than 600%, from one in 10 to more than two thirds. Cyclosporine and systemic corticosteroids, but not antihistamines or omalizumab, are used less during the pandemic. CU does not affect the course of COVID-19, but COVID-19 results in CU exacerbation in one of three patients, with higher rates in patients with severe COVID-19. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic brings major changes and challenges for CU patients and their physicians. The long-term consequences of these changes, especially the increased use of remote consultations, require careful evaluation.
Keywords: chronic urticaria, pandemics, omalizumab, cyclosporine, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, UCARE, treatment
DiRROS - Published: 14.12.2020; Views: 482; Downloads: 118

Abstract: Mast cell-activating signals in cold urticaria are not yet well defined and are likely to be heterogeneous. Cold agglutinins and cryoglobulins have been described as factors possibly associated with cold urticaria, but their relevance has not been explained. We performed a single-center prospective cohort study of 35 cold urticaria patients. Cold agglutinin and cryoglobulin test results, demographics, detailed history data, cold stimulation test results, complete blood count values, C-reactive protein, total immunoglobulin E levels, and basal serum tryptase levels were analyzed. Forty six percent (n = 16) of 35 tested patients had a positive cold agglutinin test and 27% (n = 9) of 33 tested patients had a positive cryoglobulin test. Cold agglutinin positive patients, when compared to cold agglutinin negative ones, were mainly female (P = 0.030). No gender-association was found for cryoglobulins. A positive cold agglutinin test, but not a positive cryoglobulin test, was associated with a higher rate of reactions triggered by cold ambient air (P = 0.009) or immersion in cold water (P = 0.041), and aggravated by increased summer humidity (P = 0.007). Additionally, patients with a positive cold agglutinin test had a higher frequency of angioedema triggered by ingestion of cold foods or drinks (P = 0.043), and lower disease control based on Urticaria Control Test (P = 0.023). Cold agglutinin levels correlated with erythrocyte counts (r = -0.372, P = 0.028) and monocyte counts (r = -0.425, P = 0.011). Cryoglobulin concentrations correlated with basal serum tryptase levels (r = 0.733, P = 0.025) and cold urticaria duration (r = 0.683, P = 0.042). Results of our study suggest that cold agglutinins and cryoglobulins, in a subpopulation of cold urticaria patients, are linked to the course and possibly the pathogenesis of their disease.
Keywords: urticaria, mast cells, cold-induced urticaria, cold urticaria, cryoglobulins, cold agglutinin, degranulation, clinical parameters, laboratory parameters
DiRROS - Published: 10.05.2021; Views: 310; Downloads: 274
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