Helicobacter pylori and idiopathic chronic urticaria

Background Different studies have shown a high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection in patients with chronic urticaria (CU), and occasional remission of the skin lesions after eradication therapy. Recent investigations, however, have failed to find a significant relationship between the two conditions. We designed a case-control study to assess the prevalence of HP infection and the effect of bacterium eradication on the outcome of the skin disease in patients affected by CU. The literature is reviewed. Methods Twenty-five patients diagnosed with CU were included. Information about their medical history and a complete laboratory investigation ruled out other diseases or situations suspected to cause CU. Twenty-five healthy volunteers from a census-based, randomized sample were used as controls. HP infection was assessed by the C-13-urea breath test (UBT). Eradication therapy included oral amoxicillin, omeprazole, and clarithromycin for 1 week. Results The high prevalence of HP infection (68%) and mean titer of UBT (24.13) in our patients with idiopathic CU do not differ from the general population. Marked differences were observed in the mean age of the CU patients with positive UBT (45.52 years) vs. those without HP infection (35.25 years). After eradication therapy, only one patient showed a complete remission of urticaria and two showed a partial remission. Conclusions Our results support a lack of relationship between HP infection and the course of idiopathic CU.