Chronische spontane Urtikaria

The identification of the causes of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is difficult. The recognition of functional autoantibodies against FceRI and/or against IgE in some patients with CSU led to the concept of autoimmune etiology of the disease. Clinical and laboratory features in a subpopulation of CSU patients also point to an autoimmune etiology of the disease. This review will present and discuss the relevance of functional autoantibodies in CSU pathogenesis and their implications for treatment and prognosis.