Study of serum level of interleukin-31 in patients with uremic pruritus

Abstract

Objective The aim was to assess the role of interleukin-31 (IL-31) in the pathogenesis of uremic pruritus (UP) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) with and without hemodialysis and its relation to severity of pruritus. Background UP is a very distressing symptom in patients with CKD, with unclear etiopathogenesis. Patients and methods This study was conducted on 88 patients with CKD. These patients were divided into four groups: group 1 included 22 patients with CKD having pruritus of different degrees, group 2 included 22 patients with CKD not having pruritus (control group), group 3 included 22 patients with end-stage renal disease on maintenance hemodialysis having pruritus of different degrees, and group 4 included 22 patients with end-stage renal disease on maintenance hemodialysis not having pruritus (control group). Itch intensity was scored as mild, moderate, and severe using numerical rating itch scale, and serum levels of IL-31 was evaluated. Results The results showed that IL-31 serum level was higher in patients with UP in group 1 compared with the controls in group 2; however, it was not statistically significant. Moreover, IL-31 serum level was higher in patients with UP in group 3 compared with controls in group 4; however, it was not statistically significant. The result also showed no significant difference in IL-31 levels according to severity of UP. Conclusion Future studies are need with larger sample sizes to understand the contribution of IL-31 in the pathogenesis of UP.