EVALUATION OF D-DIMER SERUM LEVELS AMONG PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC SPONTANEOUS URTICARIA AND ITS CORRELATION WITH DISEASE SEVERITY.

Abstract

Aims: To evaluate D-Dimer serum levels in patients with chronic urticaria and its correlation with disease activity. Settings and Design: Single centre Cross sectional prospective observational age & sex matched case-control study at Dermatology OPD of a tertiary referral centre. Methods and Material: This study was conducted from January 2018 to June 2019. We in-cluded 33 patients with CU and 30 controls . They were recruited from urticaria clinic. All cases were subjected to history taking, general and dermatological examination. The serum levels of D-Dimer were measured by Semiquantitative, immunofiltration kits. Statistical analysis: Data was analysed by Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) ver-sion 21.0. Tests used were Independent t test/Mann-Whitney Test, Chi-Square test/Fisher’s Exact test, Spearman rank correlation coefficient, Kolmogorov- Smirnov test.. Results: Patients with active CU had elevated D-Dimer serum levels (p<0.0001) when com-pared with the control group (papulo-squamous disorder). Of 33 CSU patients, D-dimer level was elevated in 19 patients (57.58%). There was statistically significant positive correlation between disease severity (UAS7) and plasma D-dimer level (p <.0001, r =0.935). Conclusions: This study showed elevated D-dimer levels in more than half of Indian patients with CSU. There was a positive correlation between plasma D-dimer levels and the severity of disease activity. Investigation for plasma D-dimer level may be an alternative objective way to evaluate disease severity in patients with CSU. Limitations: Low sample size . Semi quantitative method was used instead of ELISA for D-Dimer.