Abstract: Huang Taoyuan, Yang Wenlin, Yin Jiawen, Yang Jian. Department of Dermatology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510260, China Corresponding author: Yang Wenlin, Email: yangwenlin@21cn.com 【Abstract】 Objective To evaluate the relationship of acute-phase response and coagulation/fibrinolysis with chronic urticaria （CU）. Methods Fifty-three patients with CU and twenty-five healthy human controls were enrolled in this study. Venous blood samples were collected from all of these subjects. Then, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was carried out to measure the serum levels of interleukin-6（IL-6） and amyloid protein A （AA）, and immunoturbidimetry to determine the levels of serum high sensitive C-reactive protein （Hs-CRP） and plasma D-dimer. The patients with CU were classified into three groups according to the severity of clinical symptoms. The levels of serum IL-6 and plasma D-dimer were given in mean ± standard deviation, and those of serum AA and Hs-CRP in mean （25th percentile, 75th percentile ）. Rank sum test and t test were performed to compare these parameters between the patients and controls, and Spearman rank correlation analysis was conducted to study the relationship among these parameters as well as between these parameters and symptom severity in these patients. Results The levels of serum IL-6, serum AA and plasma D-dimer were （10.70 ± 4.94） ng/L, 4.92 （8.22, 12.51） μg/L, and （222.32 ± 163.69） μg/L respectively in the patients with CU, significantly higher than those in the healthy controls （（7.49 ± 3.41） ng/L, 2.11 （1.21, 2.83） μg/L, （104.72 ± 43.12） μg/L, respectively, all P < 0.05）, while no significant differences were observed between the patients and controls in the level of serum Hs-CRP （0.30 （0.10, 1.40） mg/L vs. 0.30 （0.10, 0.55） mg/L, P > 0.05）. In patients with CU, the levels of serum IL-6 were unrelated to those of serum Hs-CRP, serum AA, or plasma D-dimer （all P > 0.05）, whereas a positive correlation was observed between the levels of serum Hs-CRP and AA （r = 0.67, P < 0.01）, serum Hs-CRP and plasma D-dimer （r = 0.49, P < 0.01）, serum AA and plasma D-dimer （r = 0.38, P < 0.01）. Further more, the levels of serum Hs-CRP, AA and plasma D-dimer were significantly correlated with symptom severity in patients with CU（r = 0.63, 0.62, 0.47, respectively, all P < 0.01）. Conclusions Acute-phase response coexists with the activation of coagulation system in patients with CU, suggesting a potential association between acute-phase response and coagulation system activation.

Key words: Urticaria, Blood coagulation, Acute-phase response