The Relationship Between Serum Interleukin-6 Level and Chronic Urticaria

Background: The immunologic profile of chronic urticaria is not only important for diagnostic purposes, but also for therapeutic approaches. This study evaluated the serum levels of Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) and Interferon-ϒ (IFN-ϒ) in patients with chronic urticaria to find a biomarker. Materials and Methods: Forty-one patients with chronic urticaria referring to the Allergy Outpatient Clinic of Rasoul Akram Hospital and 20 healthy control subjects were enrolled in the study. A questionnaire was filled and the disease activity score was determined in a one-week period for every patient. All patients underwent basic laboratory tests in addition to the Autologous Serum Skin Test. Their serum IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-ϒ levels were also evaluated. Results: The patients were divided into two groups comprising of 20 and 21 participants according to the results of Autologous Serum Skin Tests. The serum IL-6 levels were elevated in the patients’ group (P=0.015). However, there was no significant difference between the patients with chronic urticaria and healthy controls in the serum levels of TNF-α (P=0.25), and IFN-ϒ (P=0.55), neither in the exact state nor by the Mann-Whitney U test. Conclusion: Serum IL-6 level was elevated in patients with chronic urticaria, but the serum levels of IFN-ϒ and TNF-α were not significantly elevated.