Abstract
Background: Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease where activation of endothelial cells (ECs) at sites of skin lesions leads to increased blood flow, leakage of fluid into the skin, cellular infiltration, and vascular remodeling. To understand the disease duration and the sometimes vague systemic symptoms accompanying flares, the objective of this study was to examine if CSU comes with systemic vascular changes at the microcirculatory level. Methods: We investigated CSU patients (n = 49) and healthy controls (HCs, n = 44) for microcirculatory differences by nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) and for blood levels of the soluble EC biomarkers serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), soluble E-selectin, and stem cell factor (SCF). Patients were also assessed for clinical characteristics, disease activity, and markers of autoimmune CSU (aiCSU). Results: CSU patients had significantly lower capillary density, more capillary malformations, and more irregular capillary dilations than HCs on NVC. Serum levels of VEGF, soluble E selectin and SCF were similar in CSU patients and HCs. CSU patients with higher VEGF levels had significantly more abnormal capillaries. Patients with markers of aiCSU, that is, low IgE levels or increased anti-TPO levels, had significantly more capillaries and less capillary dilations than those without. Conclusion: Our results suggest that CSU comes with systemic microcirculatory changes, which may be driven, in part, by VEGF.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | e12335 |
| Pages (from-to) | e12335 |
| Number of pages | 2 |
| Journal | Clinical and Translational Allergy |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 2024 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We thank Asma Benslimane and Thao Tran Thi Thanh for their technical support. Furthermore we would like to thank Martijn Blykers for his graphical design contributions and critical appraisal of the topic. Also, we thank Gillian Brodie for her help with style and syntax of this manuscript. Lastly, we thank The Brugmann Foundation for their financial support of this research. This study was also registered through ClinicalTrials.gov under the name “Role of Endothelial Cells in the Pathogenesis of Chronic Urticaria” ID number: NCT03443362.
Funding Information:
We thank Asma Benslimane and Thao Tran Thi Thanh for their technical support. Furthermore we would like to thank Martijn Blykers for his graphical design contributions and critical appraisal of the topic. Also, we thank Gillian Brodie for her help with style and syntax of this manuscript. Lastly, we thank The Brugmann Foundation for their financial support of this research. This study was also registered through ClinicalTrials.gov under the name “” ID number: NCT03443362. Role of Endothelial Cells in the Pathogenesis of Chronic Urticaria
Funding Information:
Yora Mostmans: reports a grant from The Brugmann Foundation for scientific research in chronic urticaria. Marcus Maurer: declares no conflict of interest in relation to this work. Outside of it, Marcus Maurer is or recently was a speaker and/or advisor for and/or has received research funding from Allakos, Alvotech, Amgen, Aquestive, Aralez, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Celldex, Celltrion, Evommune, GSK, Ipsen, Kyowa Kirin, Leo Pharma, Lilly, Menarini, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, Moxie, Noucor, Novartis, Orion Biotechnology, Resoncance Medicine, Sanofi/Regeneron, Septerna, Trial Form Support International AB, Third HarmonicBio, ValenzaBio, Yuhan Corporation, and Zurabio. Bertrand Richert: declares no conflict of interest in relation to this work. Vanessa Smith: is a Senior Clinical Investigator of the Research Foundation ‐ Flanders (Belgium) (FWO) [1.8.029.20N]. Vanessa Smith is supported by an unrestricted educational chair on systemic sclerosis of Janssen‐Cilag NV. Vanessa Smith has received grant/research support from the Belgian Fund for Scientific Research in Rheumatic Diseases (FWRO) and Boehringer‐Ingelheim Pharma GmbH&Co; consulting fees were provided by Boehringer‐Ingelheim GmbH&Co and Janssen‐Cilag NV; speaker fees were provided by UCB Biopharma Sprl, Boehringer‐Ingelheim GmbH&Co, Janssen‐Cilag NV and Actelion Pharmaceuticals. Karin Melsens: declares no conflict of interest in relation to this work. Viviane De Maertelaer: declares no conflict of interest in relation to this work. Ines Saidi: declares no conflict of interest in relation to this work. Francis Corazza: declares no conflict of interest in relation to this work. Olivier Michel: declares no conflict of interest in relation to this work.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Authors. Clinical and Translational Allergy published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.