Abstract: Objective: To determine the correlation of platelet-activating factor (PAF) and platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) status in the patients with in acute/chronic urticaria. Methods: Serum samples from patients and normal controls were collected; Urticaria activity score (UAS) of the patients were assessed.. The level of PAF and PAF-AH were detected by ELISA. Results: Thirty two patients with acute and 32 with chronic urticaria,,and 32 normal controls were recruited into the study. The PAF level in the patients with acute urticaria and chronic urticaria were 430.4pg/mL and 391.6pg/mL respectively, which were higher than that in the controls (224.5±31.67pg/mL), with significant differences (Ps<0.05). There were no significant difference of PAF-AH between urticaria patients and controls (Ps>0.05). Conclusions: PAF may be associated with the onset of urticaria.

Key words: urticaria, PAF, PAF-AH