Table 4. Comparisons between the characteristics of the antihistamine-refractory and non-refractory cases.
| Parameter | Refractory cases | Non-refractory cases | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | 182 | 725 | ||
| Age (yr) | 39.5 ± 11.0 | 38.5 ± 11.6 | 0.289 | |
| Female | 142 (78.0) | 496 (68.4) | 0.011 | |
| Disease duration (mon) | 6 (3–36) | 10 (3–36) | 0.359 | |
| UASday | 4.6 ± 1.2 | 4.3 ± 1.3 | 0.017 | |
| Positive anti-TPO IgE | 78 (42.9) | 61 (8.4) | < 0.001 | |
| Positive anti-TG IgE | 17 (9.3) | 54 (7.4) | 0.440 | |
| Positive anti-TPO IgG | 95 (52.2) | 184 (25.4) | < 0.001 | |
| Positive anti-TG IgG | 76 (41.8) | 227 (31.3) | 0.008 | |
| tIgE (IU/mL) | 36.0 (18.3–107.9) | 117.2 (63.2–195.8) | < 0.001 | |
| > 100 IU/mL | 48 (26.4) | 409 (56.4) | < 0.001 | |
| > 150 IU/mL | 28 (15.4) | 277 (38.2) | < 0.001 | |
| < 40 IU/mL | 119 (65.4) | 97 (13.4) | < 0.001 | |
| Positive sIgE | 42 (23.1) | 204 (28.1) | 0.192 | |
| Positive inhalant sIgE | 18 (9.9) | 122 (16.8) | 0.021 | |
| Positive food sIgE | 29 (15.9) | 135 (18.6) | 0.451 | |
Values are presented as mean ± SD, median (interquartile range) or number (%).
The P values in bold are statistically significant at level P < 0.05.
UASday, urticaria activity score for 1 day; TPO, thyroid peroxidase; TG, thyroglobulin; Ig, immunoglobulin; tIgE, total IgE; sIgE, specific IgE.