NCT06948188

Identification of Subpopulations of Patients With Cholinergic Urticaria Based on Infrared Exposure Test Results.

Identification of Subpopulations of Patients With Cholinergic Urticaria Based on the Results of Infrared Exposure

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 50 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University Hospital, Montpellier · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This study aims to identify subpopulations of patients with cholinergic urticaria based on their sensitivity to infrared (IR) radiation exposure. Cholinergic urticaria is a chronic inducible urticaria triggered by increased body temperature. The study seeks to determine whether infrared exposure can induce symptoms in a subset of patients and whether these patients exhibit specific clinical or epidemiological characteristics.

Detailed description

Cholinergic urticaria is characterized by small pruritic papules triggered by exercise, emotions, hot environments, or hot food and beverages. The pathophysiology remains unclear, but one hypothesis is that a central temperature increase plays a key role. A pilot study conducted at university hospital center (CHU) of Montpellier found that infrared exposure triggered symptoms in some patients with cholinergic urticaria. The infrared source was the same as that commonly used in photobiological tests. The objective of this study is to identify the proportion of patients who develop cholinergic urticaria when exposed to infrared light. the investigators then aim to determine whether these patients have specific clinical or epidemiological characteristics that would allow them to be classified as a distinct subgroup of cholinergic urticaria and to assess whether sensitivity to infrared light is a prognostic marker of disease severity. Furthermore, measuring the core temperature of all patients during infrared light exposure will help determine whether patients sensitive to infrared light experience a greater increase in core temperature during the IR test. This would support the hypothesis that an increase in core temperature is responsible for triggering cholinergic urticaria flare-ups in this subgroup. A better understanding of this condition and the identification of different subgroups could ultimately, with additional studies, allow for a personalized approach to patient management based on the cholinergic urticaria subgroup and each subgroup's sensitivity to different treatments.

Conditions

• Cholinergic Urticaria

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DIAGNOSTIC_TEST	Infrared exposure test	Patients will undergo a standardized infrared exposure test (this test is specifically for research purposes) to evaluate the occurrence of cholinergic urticaria reaction. IR exposure test with non-invasive core body temperature measurements, evaluate the occurrence of cholinergic urticaria up to 10 minutes after the end of the test, stop the test at the first clinical signs of urticaria. Desk lamp with infrared bulb, switched on 20cm vertically from the forearm posteriorly for 3 minutes. Reading up to 10 minutes after end of exposure test: diagnosis of cholinergic urticaria flare-up if presence of pruritic micropapules on erythematous background of trunk +/- limbs. Stop the test as soon as urticarial lesions appear.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-05-30
• Primary completion: 2026-04-07
• Completion: 2026-04-07
• First posted: 2025-04-29
• Last updated: 2025-04-29

Locations

1 site across 1 country: France