Neurotrophins: are they meaningful in chronic spontaneous urticaria?

Plasma neurotrophin levels are elevated in patients with allergic and autoimmune diseases. The present study was designed to investigate the serum neurotrophin levels in 42 patients displaying chronic spontaneous urticaria, as well as 22 healthy control subjects. Blood samples were obtained from subjects during their first visit to the clinic, and then again after one month of desloratadine therapy. No significant difference was found between patient and control groups in terms of basal serum neurotrophin levels. However, basal nerve growth factor levels in patients whose symptoms persisted despite treatment were significantly lower than those of the drug-responsive patients and the control group. In treatment-responsive patients, nerve growth factor increased after suppression of the symptoms. Our study suggests that chronic spontaneous urticaria is linked with changes serum nerve growth factor levels, and that the deregulation of neurotrophins may contribute to urticaria pathophysiology.

[1]  S. Büyüköztürk,et al.  Psychiatric morbidity and quality of life in patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria. , 2007, Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

[2]  T. Yoshikawa,et al.  Relationship of serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor level with other markers of disease severity in patients with atopic dermatitis. , 2007, Clinical immunology.

[3]  H. Schünemann,et al.  EAACI/GA2LEN/EDF/WAO guideline: definition, classification and diagnosis of urticaria , 2006, Allergy.

[4]  T. Zuberbier,et al.  EAACI/GA2LEN/EDF guideline: definition, classification and diagnosis of urticaria , 2006, Allergy.

[5]  M. Maurer,et al.  Quality of life in patients with chronic urticaria is differentially impaired and determined by psychiatric comorbidity , 2006, The British journal of dermatology.

[6]  R. Duman.  Neurotrophic factors and regulation of mood: Role of exercise, diet and metabolism , 2005, Neurobiology of Aging.

[7]  H. Zeidler,et al.  Involvement of neurotrophins and their receptors in spondyloarthritis synovitis: relation to inflammation and response to treatment , 2005, Annals of the rheumatic diseases.

[8]  V. Botchkarev.  Neurotrophins and their role in pathogenesis of alopecia areata. , 2003, The journal of investigative dermatology. Symposium proceedings.

[9]  G. Canonica,et al.  Quality of life and patients' satisfaction in chronic urticaria and respiratory allergy , 2003, Allergy.

[10]  A. Grützkau,et al.  The production, storage and release of the neurotrophins nerve growth factor, brain‐derived neurotrophic factor and neurotrophin‐3 by human peripheral eosinophils in allergics and non‐allergics , 2003, Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

[11]  T. Makino,et al.  Nerve growth factor and substance P are useful plasma markers of disease activity in atopic dermatitis , 2002 .

[12]  R. Duman,et al.  Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Produces Antidepressant Effects in Behavioral Models of Depression , 2002, The Journal of Neuroscience.

[13]  P. V. D. van der Valk,et al.  The natural history of chronic urticaria and angioedema in patients visiting a tertiary referral centre , 2002, The British journal of dermatology.

[14]  P. Villoslada,et al.  Human Nerve Growth Factor Protects Common Marmosets against Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis by Switching the Balance of T Helper Cell Type 1 and 2 Cytokines within the Central Nervous System , 2000, The Journal of experimental medicine.

[15]  A. Micera,et al.  Nerve growth factor antibody exacerbates neuropathological signs of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis in adult Lewis rats , 2000, Journal of Neuroimmunology.

[16]  M. D. Simone,et al.  Nerve growth factor: a neurotrophin with activity on cells of the immune system , 1999, Microscopy research and technique.

[17]  S. Bonini,et al.  Circulating nerve growth factor levels are increased in humans with allergic diseases and asthma. , 1996, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[18]  M. Hashiro,et al.  Anxiety, depression, psychosomatic symptoms and autonomic nervous function in patients with chronic urticaria. , 1993, Journal of dermatological science.

[19]  O. Ozdemir.  Idiopathic (autoimmune) chronic urticaria. , 2006, Allergy and asthma proceedings.