Serum Amyloid A as a potential biomarker for disease activity in chronic spontaneous urticaria

Abstract

Background: Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is an inflammatory skin disease with a complex physiopathology. Serum amyloid A (SAA), an acute-phase reactant, has been proposed as a potential biomarker in urticaria but has yet to be studied in a population with CSU or correlated with disease activity as indicated by the Urticaria Activity Score summed over 7 days (UAS7).

Objective: We sought to determine SAA-1 levels in patients with CSU and correlate them with its activity and control, as well as with clinical features of CSU and other potential blood biomarkers.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective multicenter study of 67 patients with CSU, from whom we obtained demographic and clinical data, UAS7 as an indicator of CSU activity, and blood and serum markers.

Results: SAA-1 levels positively correlated with UAS7 (rs = 0.47, P < .001). SAA-1 levels were higher in patients with noncontrolled (UAS7 > 6) CSU than in those with controlled (UAS ≤ 6) CSU (P < .001) and were also higher in patients with concomitant angioedema (P = .003) or delayed pressure urticaria (P = .003).

Conclusion: We propose SAA-1 as a potential biomarker for activity in CSU. Further studies are required to evaluate its potential role as a biomarker for other CSU outcomes, such as response to treatment.