Basophil responsiveness in chronic urticaria.

Full Abstract

Chronic urticaria is a common skin disease without an etiology in the majority of cases. The similarity of symptoms and pathology to allergen-induced skin reactions supports the idea that skin mast cell and blood basophil IgE receptor activation is involved; however, no exogenous allergen trigger has been identified. Recent evidence supports a role for blood basophils in disease expression. Specifically, blood basopenia is noted in active disease with the recruitment of blood basophils to skin lesional sites. In addition, blood basophils display altered IgE receptor-mediated degranulation that reverts in disease remission. In active chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) subjects, changes in IgE receptor-signaling molecule expression levels accompany the altered degranulation function in blood basophils. The arrival of therapies targeting IgE has further shown that altered blood basophil degranulation behavior has potential use as a disease biomarker in CIU.

Author information

Author/s: Saini, Sarbjit S (SS);

Affiliation: Johns Hopkins Asthma and Allergy Center, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. ssaini(-atsign-)jhmi.edu

Grants: K08 AI001564-05 (Agency:NIAID NIH HHS) ; U19AI070345 (Agency:NIAID NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Review

Journal: Current allergy and asthma reports (Curr Allergy Asthma Rep), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Jul; vol 9 (issue 4) : pp 286-90

Dates: Created 2009/08/06; Completed 2009/10/09; Revised 2009/10/26;

PMID: 19656475, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 10/27/2009, IMS Date: )

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