Table 1. Clinical characteristics of the study subjects in the cohort.
| Variable | CSU | Healthy controls | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| (n = 88) | (n = 77) | ||
| Female, n (%) | 54 (61.4%) | 39 (50.6%) | 0.22 |
| Age (years) | 37.5 [25.0;48.0] | 41.0 [34.0;52.0] | 0.01 |
| Atopy, n (%) | 54 (61.4%) | 36 (50.0%) | 0.20 |
| UAS-15 | 9.2±4.3 | NA | |
| ASST positive, n (%) | 20 (22.7%) | NA | |
| ANA positive, n (%) | 16 (18.2%) | NA | |
| Serum total IgE (kU/L) | 135.5 [64.5;312.5] | 50.7 [20.4;110.5] | <0.001 |
| Serum free IgE (ng/mL) | 252.9 [99.5;639.8] | 105.9 [23.4;273.5] | <0.001 |
Non-parametric values are presented as median [IQR] and parametric values or mean ± SD. Categorical values are shown as number (percentage). P values were evaluated by the t test or the Mann-Whitney test. CSU, chronic spontaneous urticaria; HCs, healthy controls; UAS, urticaria activity score; ASST, autologous serum skin test; ANA, antinuclear antibody, NA: not available