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What causes urticaria in children?
Last reviewed: 15.11.2023
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The etiological factors of urticaria and angioedema are very diverse.
- Immune forms cause:
- all groups of allergens;
- hereditary or acquired deficiency of Cql-inactivator;
- autoimmune diseases.
- Non-immune forms cause:
- substances capable of activating mast cells without the participation of immune mechanisms, ingestion of substances containing histamine;
- physical factors;
- emotional stress;
- viral infections, infectious mononucleosis, hepatitis;
- helminthiases;
- cryoglobulinemia;
- mastocytosis.
In most cases, the cause of urticaria remains unclear.
Pathogenesis of urticaria
A single concept, combining all forms of urticaria, is absent. The central mediator role of histamine in the pathogenesis of the disease is confirmed by a characteristic skin reaction, the effectiveness of antihistamines, an increase in the concentration of histamine in the blood plasma in most forms of urticaria.
Some forms of chronic urticaria are associated with the effects of pellet proteins of eosinophils, platelet activation factor, tryptase and chymase.
In the immune form of the disease, the primary mediators of the immediate type allergy (histamine, MRS-A, chemotactic factors of eosinophils and neutrophils, basophilic callicrein factor), released from mast cells and basophils, lead to activation of secondary mediators - kinins, complement, release of prostaglandins, serotonin. There is an increase in the permeability of the vessel wall and the appearance of characteristic skin elements.