title: Polymethylmethacrylate efficacy in reduction of renal itching in hemodialysis patients: crossover study and role of tumor necrosis factor-alpha.
abstract: Pruritus is one of the major unsolved problems for patients receiving regular hemodialysis. In this study, we conducted a 6 month prospective and crossover trial to investigate the effect of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) membrane for renal itching. We also examined the role of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha system for pruritus in hemodialysis patients. We assessed the degree of skin itching and measured circulating levels of TNF-alpha and soluble TNF receptors (sTNFR-I, sTNFR-II) in 19 patients using hemodialysis, complicated by prolonged severe pruritus for 6 months. Serum sTNFR-I and II levels were significantly elevated in hemodialysis patients compared to normal subjects. Serum sTNFR-II levels were significantly and negatively correlated with serum albumin (r = -0.602, p = 0.007). A significant positive relationship was also found between sTNFR-I and erythropoietin dosage (r = 0.554, p = 0.016). However, no association was found between the degree of pruritus and circulating sTNFR-I and II values. Skin itching scale was significantly decreased from 2.7 +/- 0.2 to 2.1 +/- 0.3 following the use of PMMA membrane for 3 months (p < 0.05). In contrast, there was no change in itching scales during 3 months of conventional therapy (2.2 +/- 0.3 versus 2.2 +/- 0.3, p = NS). PMMA itself did not affect serum TNF-alpha and sTNFR values as well as conventional dialyzer membranes. These findings suggested that the PMMA dialyzer can improve renal itching not mediated through the modification of the TNF-alpha system.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handa-cho, Hamamatsu 431-3192, Japan. akato@hama-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takita
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Furuhashi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hishida
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008875:Middle Aged; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011537:Pruritus / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000097:blood; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate