Effects of azelastin on pruritus and plasma histamine levels in hemodialysis patients.
BACKGROUND
Persistent pruritus is the most common symptom in hemodialysis patients. Its causes are poorly understood and there is no effective treatment. We have studied the effect of azelastin HCL on the plasma histamine concentrations and pruritus in maintenance dialysis patients with or without erythropoietin therapy.


METHODS
Twenty-eight hemodialysis patients were divided into four groups according to the presence or absence of pruritus and whether or not they received erythropoietin therapy.


RESULTS
Histamine concentrations in the patient groups were significantly higher than in healthy volunteers, but a significant difference could not be found among the four groups. The patients with pruritus showed no change in their histamine concentration during treatment with azelastin HCL, but their pruritus scores decreased remarkably.


CONCLUSIONS
The present data do not support the thesis that the increased plasma histamine concentration is causally related to pruritus in hemodialysis patients or that the antiallergic drug, azelastin HCL, alleviates the pruritus of dialysis patients by decreasing plasma histamine levels. The possible role of the increased tissue levels of histamine remains to be studied.
Matsui
C
C
Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Japan.
Ida
M
M
Hamada
M
M
Morohashi
M
M
Hasegawa
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006632:Histamine / Q000097:blood*; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010793:Phthalazines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011537:Pruritus / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006435:Renal Dialysis
D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists; D010793:Phthalazines; D004921:Erythropoietin; D006632:Histamine; C020976:azelastine