Original Article
Copyright ©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Dec 21, 2014; 20(47): 17877-17882
Published online Dec 21, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i47.17877
Study of pruritus in chronic hepatitis C patients
Kazuyoshi Suzuki, Masaya Tamano, Yasumi Katayama, Toru Kuniyoshi, Kagemasa Kagawa, Hiroshi Takada, Kazutomo Suzuki
Kazuyoshi Suzuki, Masaya Tamano, Yasumi Katayama, Toru Kuniyoshi, Kagemasa Kagawa, Hiroshi Takada, Kazutomo Suzuki, Department of Gastroenterology, Dokkyo Medical University Koshigaya Hospital, Saitama 343-8555, Japan
Author contributions: Suzuki K, Katayama Y and Tamano M designed the research; Kuniyoshi T, Kagawa K, Takada H and Suzuki K performed the research; Katayama Y analyzed the data; and Suzuki K and Tamano M wrote the paper.
Correspondence to: Masaya Tamano, Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, Dokkyo Medical University Koshigaya Hospital, 2-1-50 Minami-Koshigaya, Koshigaya-shi, Saitama 343-8555, Japan. mstamano@dokkyomed.ac.jp
Telephone: +81-48-9651111 Fax: +81-48-9651169
Received: March 8, 2014
Revised: April 15, 2014
Accepted: July 24, 2014
Published online: December 21, 2014
Processing time: 287 Days and 6.7 Hours
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the occurrence and severity of pruritus in chronic hepatitis C patients treated with or without interferon (IFN) therapy.

METHODS: A total of 89 patients with chronic hepatitis C and 55 control (non-hepatitis) patients were asked to rate their experience of diurnal and nocturnal pruritus in the preceding week using a visual analogue scale (VAS) and a five-point scale, respectively. Blood samples were taken and serum thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTS: A significantly greater proportion of chronic hepatitis C patients experienced nocturnal pruritus compared with control (58.4% vs 5.5%, P < 0.0001). Chronic hepatitis C patients also had more severe pruritus compared with control patients, indicated by the higher mean VAS scores in both the IFN-treated and non-IFN-treated groups. In particular, patients who received combined peginterferon alfa-2b and ribavirin had significantly higher mean VAS scores than those receiving peginterferon alfa-2a or no IFN treatment. Serum TARC levels did not correlate with pruritus scores, and no significant differences in TARC levels were observed between the IFN-treated and non-IFN-treated groups.

CONCLUSION: Patients with chronic hepatitis C experience pruritus more than those without. Serum TARC levels do not correlate with pruritus severity in chronic hepatitis C patients.

Keywords: Hepatitis C; Pruritus; Peginterferon; Ribavirin; Thymus and activation-regulated chemokine

Core tip: This is the first paper to evaluate the occurrence and severity of pruritus in chronic hepatitis C patients and to examine the relationship between pruritus and interferon therapy. We found that patients with chronic hepatitis C experience pruritus more than those without chronic hepatitis C.