title: Therapy of intractable pruritus with MARS.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pruritus is the most disabling symptom in patients with cholestatic liver diseases. Many drug therapies have been used for the treatment of these diseases, with different outcomes. The molecular adsorbent recirculating system (MARS) has been used in the treatment of intractable pruritus in cholestatic syndromes. We report our experience with MARS in 3 patients with intractable pruritus on the waiting list: 2 liver transplant recipients and a patient with primary biliary cirrhosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two middle-aged women and 1 middle-aged man, who were recipients of an orthotopic liver transplant for primary biliary cirrhosis, underwent three (n = 2) and two (n = 1) 6-hour sessions of MARS due to medically uncontrollable pruritus. All noted marked improvement of pruritus, with decreased bilirubin levels, but this improvement lasted only a few days in all cases. We observed no changes in transaminase or albumin levels, or prothrombin time. Complications included an episode of angina due to anemia caused by jugular catheter bleeding, and thrombocytopenia in all patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MARS is an effective treatment for intractable pruritus in cholestatic liver diseases, although its beneficial effect is short. This extracorporeal liver device is safe, because most related adverse events are mild.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Hospital Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Acevedo Ribó
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Moreno Planas
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sanz Moreno
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Rubio González
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rubio González
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Boullosa Graña
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Turrión
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sanz Guajardo
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cuervas-Mons
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011537:Pruritus / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D012086:Reoperation; D016060:Sorption Detoxification; D016896:Treatment Outcome