Prevalence of Autoimmune and Autoinflammatory Diseases in Chronic Urticaria: Pathogenetic, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Implications

Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is defined as the almost daily occurrence of widespread wheals, angioedema, or both, for more than 6 weeks. It affects 1-2% of the general population, with a higher prevalence in female patients, and is more frequent patients over 20 years of age. More than half of all cases of chronic idiopathic urticaria are thought to occur due to an autoimmune mechanism, specifically the production of autoantibodies against the high-affinity immunoglobulin E (IgE) receptor (Fc epsilon RI). The quality of life in these patients is often greatly compromised, also due to the onset of comorbidities represented by other autoimmune diseases, such as thyroid disease, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjogren's syndrome, celiac disease, and type 1 diabetes, among others. This review aimed to analyze the close correlation between CSU and some autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases, in order to encourage a multidisciplinary and multimorbid approach to the patient affected by CSU, which allows not only control of the natural course of the disease, but also any associated comorbidities.

Automated summary

Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is a condition characterized by almost daily occurrence of widespread wheals and angioedema for more than 6 weeks. It affects 1-2% of the general population, with a higher prevalence in female patients and those over 20 years of age. Over 50% of cases are believed to be caused by an autoimmune mechanism involving the production of autoantibodies against the high-affinity immunoglobulin E (IgE) receptor (Fc epsilon RI). This review highlights the close correlation between CSU and various autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive approach to manage both CSU and its associated comorbidities.