Abstract
Background: There is a need for searching for biomarkers indicating patients who will benefit the most from treatment with omalizumab for chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU). The aim of this study was to assess whether the eosinophil/neutrophil/platelet/basophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (ELR, NLR, PLR, BLR) may predict the response to omalizumab treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria. Methods: A retrospective data analysis of CSU patients treated s-c with 300 mg of omalizumab every four weeks under the drug program was carried out. NLR, ELR, PLR and BLR, DLQI, UAS-7, CRP, anti-TPO and tIgE were assessed before (V0) and after three (V3) and six months (V6) of treatment. Results: Among 52 patients with CSU, 21 were responders, 24 were partially responders and 6 were non-responders to treatment with 300 mg omalizumab every four weeks. An amount of 18 patients had features of type I autoallergic CSU (CSU(aiTI)) and 34 patients had autoimmunity type IIb CSU with mast cell-directed activating autoantibodies (CSU(aiTIIb)). NLR, ELR, PLR and BLR indices did not change during a six-month-course of biological treatment. Initial values of ELR and BLR were significantly correlated with the initial tIgE level and anti-TPO/IgE ratio. Initial values of NLR, ELR and BLR were significantly correlated with initial CRP. Comparisons between type I autoallergic CSU (CSU(aiTI)) and autoimmunity type IIb CSU (CSU(aiTIIb)) revealed that the absolute number and percentage of eosinophils, basophils, BLR and tIgE were significantly higher in type CSU(aiTI) and anti-TPO and anti-TPO/IgE were significantly lower in type CSU(aiTI). Conclusions: NLR, ELR, PLR and BLR do not change significantly during six months of omalizumab treatment and do not appear to be useful in predicting its efficacy.