Characteristics of pruritus in children on peritoneal dialysis

Chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus: what is known and its application in children

Chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus (CKD-aP) or uremic pruritus (UP) is a frequent symptom in patients with kidney failure receiving kidney replacement therapy. Severe chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus correlates with poor outcome in patients on dialysis. It is multifactorial in etiology and has a significant impact on quality of life. There is, however, limited data for children. This review summarizes current epidemiology, clinical characteristics, pruritus scoring systems, and available therapeutic options for pruritus in patients with chronic kidney disease and those receiving dialysis. Optimal care requires proper awareness of the severity of symptoms, the impact on quality of life, and the possible long-term outcomes. Optimizing dialysis prescription and correcting electrolyte abnormalities are important treatment targets. A wide range of therapeutic options is also available although none are well-studied in children. An earlier recognition of this debilitating symptom in children and treatment is imperative. A higher resolution version of the Graphical abstract is available as Supplementary information.

Systemic causes of non-dermatologic chronic pruritus in the pediatric population and their management: An unexplored area

Chronic pruritus associated with systemic diseases in the pediatric population has been infrequently addressed in the literature. This review focuses on chronic pruritus presenting without cutaneous manifestations. Common systemic etiologies include diseases with hepatic, renal, and hematologic origins. This encompasses several congenital liver disorders, end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and lymphoproliferative disorders such as Hodgkin's lymphoma. In this paper, an expert panel describes the clinical characteristics, pathophysiology, and therapeutic treatment ladders for chronic pruritus associated with the aforementioned systemic etiologies. Novel therapies are also reviewed. Our aim is to shed light on this unexplored area of pediatric dermatology and instigate further research.

Pruritus Features in Children with End-Stage Renal Disease Underwent Dialysis: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective

Evaluation of the pruritus features in children with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who underwent dialysis at an academic tertiary pediatric dialysis center.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted at an academic tertiary pediatric dialysis center, Isfahan, Iran. The reviewed medical records of the children included their characteristics, dialysis properties, and laboratory parameters. The 4-item itch questionnaire was utilized to assess distribution, severity, frequency, and associated sleeping disorders.

Results

Thirty ESRD patients with pruritus, including 23 males (76.7%) with a mean age of 11.7 ± 3.64 years, were recruited. The most common cause of CKD was nephronophthisis (23.3%). The median total score of pruritus was 5 (range: 3-15). The distribution score of pruritus was directly correlated with the age (Spearman's rho = 0.42, P = 0.02) and serum level of parathyroid hormone (PTH) (Spearman's rho = 0.42, P = 0.04). In the reduced multiple logistic regression model, the increasing level of serum calcium was associated with increased odds of having total pruritus score ≥ 5 (OR (odds ratio): 4.5; 95% CI 1.12 to 18.05). In addition, an increase in age for one year was found to be associated with 50% higher odds of having total pruritus score ≥ 5 (OR: 1.5; 95% CI 1.03 to 2.18).

Conclusion

Increased level of serum Ca and higher age were associated with increased odds of having more severe pruritus score in children.

Chronic Kidney Disease-Associated Itch (CKD-aI) in Children-A Narrative Review

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a condition of widespread epidemiology and serious consequences affecting all organs of the organism and associated with significant mortality. The knowledge on CKD is rapidly evolving, especially concerning adults. Recently, more data is also appearing regarding CKD in children. Chronic itch (CI) is a common symptom appearing due to various underlying dermatological and systemic conditions. CI may also appear in association with CKD and is termed chronic kidney disease-associated itch (CKD-aI). CKD-aI is relatively well-described in the literature concerning adults, yet it also affects children. Unfortunately, the data on paediatric CKD-aI is particularly scarce. This narrative review aims to describe various aspects of CKD-aI with an emphasis on children, based on the available data in this population and the data extrapolated from adults. Its pathogenesis is described in details, focusing on the growing role of uraemic toxins (UTs), as well as immune dysfunction, altered opioid transmission, infectious agents, xerosis, neuropathy and dialysis-associated aspects. Moreover, epidemiological and clinical aspects are reviewed based on the few data on CKD-aI in children, whereas treatment recommendations are proposed as well, based on the literature on CKD-aI in adults and own experience in managing CI in children.

Vegetarian diet may ameliorate uremic pruritus in hemodialysis patients

Objectives: Systemic inflammation has been reported to be associated with uremic pruritus (UP). Although a vegetarian diet can reduce systemic inflammation in hemodialysis patients, the effect of vegetarian diet on UP is not clear. The purpose of the study was to know the possible effects of vegetarian diet on UP.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was done to compare the severity of UP and blood levels of systemic inflammatory markers between vegetarian and non-vegetarian hemodialysis patients. Six non-vegetarian patients with uremic pruritus changed their non-vegetarian diet to vegetarian diet for 2 months. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and pruritus score (PS) were used to measure the UP severity. The serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and interleukin-2 (IL-2) were used as markers of inflammation.

Results: Both the median VAS scores (p = .043) and the median PS scores (p < .001) were lower in the Vegetarian than in the non-vegetarian group. The median values of hs-CRP in Vegetarian were lower than that for the non-vegetarian (p = .020). The median value of IL-2 was also lower in Vegetarian than that of the non-vegetarian (p = .016). There were 6 non-vegetarian patients shift to vegetarian for 2 months. The pruritus score improved and IL-2 level decreased after change to vegetarian diet.

Conclusion: We concluded that vegetarian diet might be associated with the amelioration of the uremic pruritus severity in hemodialysis patients.

Prevalence of chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus among adult dialysis patients: A meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies

Chronic kidney disease (CKD)-associated pruritus is a common adverse symptom in patients with end-stage renal disease treated by dialysis. Herein, a systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of CKD-associated pruritus among adult dialysis patients was conducted.An electronic search of PubMed, Web of Science, Elsevier, Wanfang, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure databases was conducted from inception to November 23, 2016, and all cross-sectional studies that reported the prevalence of CKD-associated pruritus in dialysis were collected. The pooled prevalence was estimated by random-effects model. Potential publication bias was evaluated by the funnel plot as well as Begg and Egger tests.After rigorous screening, a total of 42 studies conducted on 11,800 patients were included in this study. The overall prevalence of CKD-associated pruritus among adult dialysis patients was 55% (95% confidence interval [CI], 49-61, I = 97.6%), the stratification of which was 55% (95% CI, 45-65, I = 94.7%) in men and 55% (95% CI, 46-65, I = 93.3%) in women. In hemodialysis (HD) patients, the prevalence of CKD-associated pruritus was 55% (95% CI, 49-62, I = 97.9%), while in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, it was 56% (95% CI, 44-68, I = 89.9%). The prevalence of CKD-associated pruritus for mean dialysis duration <40 months was 56% (95% CI, 48-63, I = 75.1%), while that for mean dialysis duration ≥40 months was 50% (95% CI, 36-64, I = 99.1%).The prevalence of CKD-associated pruritus is high in HD and PD. The prevalence among adult dialysis patients is comparable between China and foreign countries as well as between females and males. Studies with the similar disease definition and analysis of the effects of risk factors on CKD-associated pruritus are needed.

Pruritus epidemiology and quality of life

The burden of chronic pruritus is increasingly recognized as significant worldwide. As wet-laboratory researchers investigate the pathophysiology of chronic pruritus, epidemiologists and health services researchers are quantifying the impact of pruritus by incidence, prevalence, and quality of life measures. Outcomes researchers are also investigating factors that may predict chronic pruritus incidence and severity. Such efforts will direct resources for research, public health intervention, and clinical care.

Pruritus and renal failure

Patients with renal failure, usually end-stage renal disease (ESRD), commonly are afflicted by severe pruritus. The pathogenesis of ESRD pruritus is unknown, but improving the quality of dialysis can reduce the prevalence and severity of ESRD pruritus. Topical and systemic agents as well as broadband ultraviolet phototherapy can be extremely beneficial. Gabapentin has been recently discovered as an effective agent for the patient with ESRD pruritus. Kappa opiate agonists are promising new therapeutic options.