Allergy, Asthma and Immunology: Evaluation of D-dimer serum levels among patients with chronic urticaria, psoriasis and urticarial vasculitis

Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia

Print version ISSN 0365-0596

An. Bras. Dermatol. vol.88 no.3 Rio de Janeiro May/June 2013

http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/abd1806-4841.20131532

INVESTIGATION

Evaluation of D-dimer serum levels among patients with chronic urticaria, psoriasis and urticarial vasculitis *

Paulo Ricardo Criado1 , Lidi Che Leon Antinori2, Celina Wakisaka Maruta3, Vitor Manoel Silva dos Reis4

¹ Doctor in Science (Dermatology), Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, Sao Paulo University (USP) - Physician, Division of Dermatology, Hospital das Clínicas (HC-FMUSP) - Sao Paulo (SP), Brazil.

Division of Dermatology, Hospital das Clínicas, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil

² Physician, Medical foreign trainee, Division of Dermatology, Hospital das Clínicas (HC-FMUSP) - Sao Paulo (SP), Brazil.

³ Doctor in Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, Sao Paulo University (USP) - Professor of Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, Sao Paulo University (USP) - Sao Paulo, Brazil.

⁴ Full Professor (Habilitation) at the Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, Sao Paulo University (USP) - Physician, Division of Dermatology, Hospital das Clínicas (HC-FMUSP) - Sao Paulo (SP), Brazil.

Division of Dermatology, Hospital das Clínicas, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

It has been demonstrated that neutrophils, eosinophils and monocytes, under appropriated stimulus, may express tissue factor and therefore, activate the extrinsic pathway of coagulation. We performed a transversal and case-control study of patients with chronic urticaria and patients with psoriasis, in our outpatient clinic to evaluate the production of D-dimer.

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate D-dimer serum levels in patients with chronic urticaria and its possible correlation with disease activity.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

The study was conducted from October 2010 until March 2011. We selected 37 consecutive patients from our Allergy Unit and Psoriasis Unit, and divided them into three groups for statistical analysis: (i) 12 patients with active chronic urticaria (CU); (ii) 10 patients with chronic urticaria under remission and (iii) 15 patients with psoriasis (a disease with skin inflammatory infiltrate constituted by neutrophils, lymphocytes and monocytes). Another five patients with urticarial vasculitis were allocated in our study, but not included in statistical analysis. The serum levels of D-dimer were measured by Enzyme Linked Fluorescent Assay (ELFA), and the result units were given in ng/ml FEU.

RESULTS:

Patients with active chronic urticaria had the highest serum levels of D-dimer (p<0 .01="" and="" compared="" control="" cu="" group="" p="" patients="" psoriasis="" remission="" the="" to="" under="" when="" with="">

CONCLUSIONS:

Patients with active chronic urticaria have higher serum levels of D-dimer, when compared to patients with chronic urticaria under remission and patients with psoriasis. We found elevated serum levels of D-dimer among patients with urticarial vasculitis.

Keywords: Angioedema; Psoriasis; Urticaria; Vasculitis; Vasculitis, leukocytoclastic, cutaneous