Abstract
Very little is known about the role of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) in urticaria. Material and Methods. Serum levels of IL-1β, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA), and IL-18 were measured in 56 children with urticaria and in 41 healthy subjects. Results. Serum IL-1β did not differ between children with acute urticaria and controls. Children with single episode of urticaria had higher levels of IL-1RA and IL-18 than healthy subjects. In children with single episode of urticaria, level of IL-1RA correlated with C-reactive protein (CRP), D-dimer, and IL-1β levels. In subjects with recurrence of urticaria IL-1RA was positively correlated with WBC and D-dimer levels. No correlation of cytokine levels and urticaria severity scores (UAS) in all children with urticaria was observed. In children with single episode of urticaria UAS correlated with CRP level. In the group with single episode of urticaria and in children with symptoms of upper respiratory infection, IL-1RA and IL-18 levels were higher than in controls. The former was higher than in noninfected children with urticaria. In conclusion, this preliminary study documents that serum IL-1RA and IL-18 levels are increased in some children with acute urticaria. However further studies are necessary to define a pathogenic role of IL-1β, IL-1RA, and IL-18 in urticaria.
Highlights
Urticaria is a commonly recognized skin disorder characterized by the sudden development of pruritic wheals and/or angioedema
Serum level of IL-1β did not differ between children with acute urticaria and healthy controls
In cryopyrinassociated periodic syndromes (CAPS), in which increased secretion of IL-1β is due to a single nucleotide mutation in the NALP3 gene, controlling the caspase-1 activity, the main source of IL-1, are the mast cells [23]
Summary
Urticaria is a commonly recognized skin disorder characterized by the sudden development of pruritic wheals and/or angioedema. During recent years significant progress has been made in elucidation of both the etiology and pathogenesis of urtricaria; data on urticaria in children still remain scarce and are mostly derived from extrapolating information obtained in adults [1]. Pediatric urticaria has a specific clinical appearance, its pathogenesis remains partially unknown. The most common manifestation in children is acute spontaneous urticaria, affecting 4.5–15% of this age group [2]. Infections are the main trigger factor of acute urticaria in the pediatric age group. Drugs, and physical factors have been implicated in pathogenesis to a lesser extent [3]. About 20–30% of cases of acute urticaria progress to chronic and recurrent urticaria [1]
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