Demographic characteristics and patient-reported outcome measures in correlation with treatment efficacy in chronic spontaneous urticaria at the urticaria centers of reference and excellence center in Vietnam

Background: Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is a prevalent disorder characterized by recurrent wheals with or without angioedema, resulting in substantial impairment of quality of life. Identifying clinical factors associated with treatment response remains challenging. Objective: We aimed to characterize demographic factors, disease activity, coexisting allergic conditions, and the use of standardized measurement forms like Urticaria Activity Score over 7 days (UAS7), Chronic Urticaria Quality of Life Questionnaire (CU-QoL), and urticaria control test (UCT). In addition, we analyzed whether clinical and laboratory profiles predicted response to second-generation H1-antihistamines (sgAHs), omalizumab, or combined therapy. Method: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 215 CSU patients admitted to a single institution. Disease activity, quality of life, and disease control were assessed using UAS7, CU-QoL, and the UCT, respectively. Treatment response was defined as UCT ≥ 12 at 4-week follow-up. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory variables were compared between responders and nonresponders. Results: The cohort included 215 patients, with a mean age of 40.0 ± 12.0 years. Patients who responded to sgAHs therapy were significantly younger ( P = 0.022) and exhibited lower body mass index (BMI) (22.0 vs. 23.1, P = 0.010). Despite a female predominance (70.2%), the sex distribution showed no significant between-group differences. Autologous serum skin test (ASST) was performed in 23.7%; among those tested, 43.1% were positive, and 54.9% were negative. Notably, ASST positivity was observed only in patients who responded to sgAHs, whereas no ASST-positive cases were identified among nonresponders. Most patients had negative antinuclear antibodies profiles, with no significant group differences. For thyroid disease, the results show that there is no correlation between thyroid disease or thyroid-related markers and the clinical response to sgAHs in this cohort. Conclusion: Younger age and lower BMI were associated with superior response to sgAHs. UCT was used to define disease control, while UAS7 and CU-QoL characterized disease activity and quality-of-life burden.