Evaluation of Wet Cupping Treatment in Patients with Chronic Urticaria and Angioedema

Abstract

Urticaria is a kind of skin rash that sometimes caused by allergic reactions. Acute viral infection, stress, pressure, exercise and sunlight are some other causes of urticaria. However, chronic urticaria and angioedema could be either idiopathic or caused by autoimmune reaction. They last more than six weeks and could even persist for a very long time. It is thought that the level of C-reactive protein CRP increases and the level of Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) decreases in patients with chronic urticaria. Thirty four patients with chronic or recurrent urticaria were selected for the treatment with wet cupping. Six of them, because of having a history of recent infection/cold urticaria, were eliminated and the remaining 28 were chosen for this study. ESR and CRP were measured in these patients aged 21-59, comprising 12 females and 16 males, ranged from 5-24 mm/h for ESR with a median 11 mm/h and 3.3-31.2 mg/L with a median of 11.95 mg/L for CRP before and after phlebotomy (250-450mL) which was performed as a control for wet cupping therapy. Three weeks after phlebotomy, wet cupping was performed on the back of these patients between two shoulders and the levels of ESR and CRP were measured again three weeks after wet cupping. The changes were observed in the level of CRP and ESR after phlebotomy being negligible. However, the level of CRP with a median 11.95 before wet cupping dramatically dropped to 1.1 after wet cupping. The level ESR also with a median 11 before wet cupping rose to 15.5 after wet cupping therapy. The clear correlation between the urticaria/angioedema and the rise of CRP was observed as was anticipated. No recurrence has been observed on twenty five of these patients and three of them are still recovering from the lesions.