D1.25 - Clinical Characteristics of Chronic Urticaria in Adults Under 45 Years Old with Vitamin D Insufficiency

Vitamin D deficiency may play a role in the pathogenesis of chronic urticaria (CU) by contributing to immune dysregulation and inflammation. We aimed to evaluate clinical characteristics of CU in young adults with suboptimal vitamin D levels.

This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study including outpatients or hospitalized patients, under 45 years old, with CU diagnosis and serum vitamin D level <30 ng/ml. Data collected through a questionnaire analyzed clinical profile regarding atopy, autoimmunity, age of disease onset, remission periods and body mass index (BMI).

The study included 43 patients, 33(76.7%) of them females, with a mean age 31.2 ±8.8 years old, and BMI 26.5±4.1kg/m². Among them 28(65% BMI>25), showed vitamin D levels 18.5± 5.2 ng/ml (normal ranges 30-100 ng/ml). Absence of accompanying angioedema was reported in 9 (20.9%) patients, 8(18.6%) patients had an atopic response (prick test and/or sIgE positive), 10(23.3%) patients tested positive for autoimmunity (autologous serum positivity and/or antinuclear antibodies and/or anti-thyroid peroxidase autoantibodies), 4(9.3%) both (atopy and autoimmunity), and 5(11.6%) co-existence of dermographism with CSU (chronic spontaneous urticaria). A disease duration since diagnosis < 1 year was reported in 16(37.2%) cases, >1 year in 27(62.8%), and among them, >5 years in 6(13.9%) of cases. Partial remission was observed within 1-6 months by 7(16.3%) and 6-12months by 5(11.6%) of patients with> 1 year of CSU diagnosis.

In young adults (<45 years) showing insufficient vitamin D levels, CSU is presented mostly with accompanying angioedema, similar frequency rates of atopy and autoimmunity, with the majority of cases being overweight, with disease activity more than 1 year and low remission rates. Further studies are needed to evaluate the correlation between vitamin D insufficiency and CSU characteristics in Albanian populations.