Chronic urticaria with high IgE levels: first results on oral cyclosporine A treatment

Abstract Chronic Urticaria is a difficult to define condition from the nosographic standpoint, with complex pharmacological management, that heavily impacts the life of the patient. Some forms show not to be responsive to anti H1 anti-histaminic and require other treatments. One of these can be the treatment with Cyclosporine A (CsA). This study, open and sequential, reports the results of short-term treatment over a sample of adults (21 patients) of both sexes, all suffering from chronic urticaria with IgE levels higher than 200 mU/ml treated with 4 mg/kg/die of CsA. The results obtained show a reduction in the levels of total IgE and a significant improvement in symptoms; there were no adverse effects. Cyclosporine is an excellent treatment for chronic urticaria because it reduces the activity of T lymphocytes and reduction of the histamine release from the mast cells and basophils.