[Determination of circulating immune complexes and complement activation in patients with urticaria-angioedema syndrome].

In the present study, we examined 102 patients with chronic urticaria and angioedema. The incidence of immune complexes (CIC)-mediated chronic urticaria with complement activation (C3b+) was 11.7% (12/102 patients). The 12 patients with CIC and C3b was divided in three diagnostic groups: with drug adverse reactions; with systemic disorders; without apparent associated pathologies. On the basis of data obtained it is remarkable the necessity of a careful etiologic diagnosis in presence of CIC mediated-chronic urticaria particularly when it is associated with arthralgies and/or elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) because of a likely presence of a serious systemic pathology.