Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0033774 (pruritus)
 14,546 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The urinary excretion of histamine and its main metabolite, 1-methyl-4-imidazoleacetic acid (MeImAA), was determined in 30 adult patients with the clinical diagnosis of urticaria pigmentosa (UP). Clinical and laboratory investigations including skin histology, bone marrow examination, and scintigraphy of the skeleton, liver, and spleen revealed systemic manifestations in 14 cases. Among the 16 cases with dermal proliferation of mast cells only 3 cases classified as telangiectasia macularis eruptiva perstans (TMEP). All patients with systemic mastocytosis and UP excreted increased amounts of MeImAA in the urine while normal amounts were found in 2 of the patients with TMEP. A significant correlation existed between MeImAA excretion and the extent of mast cell infiltration in skin and internal organs. No such correlation was found for urinary histamine. Urinary MeImAA but not histamine is therefore considered a useful indicator of systemic involvement by reflecting the size of the mast cell histamine pool. The main symptom of the patients was pruritus, which was moderate to severe in 17 and mild or absent in 13 cases. Gastrointestinal symptoms were present in 14 patients. However, there was no obvious correlation between the excretion of MeImAA and any of the symptoms recorded. Neither was the severity of pruritus correlated to the histamine content of the skin, which was measured in both lesional and unaffected skin in 23 of the patients. Thus, symptoms possibly caused by histamine in mastocytosis patients are not directly related to urinary histamine metabolite excretion or tissue histamine content.
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PMID:Studies on histamine metabolism in mastocytosis. 684 97

One hundred and sixty ex-servicemen who had been prisoners of war in south-east Asia during 1942-5 were investigated for infection with Strongyloides stercoralis. Larvae were found in 44 (27.5%) of the men, who had therefore been infected for 34-37 years. Direct microscopy of the faeces was the most successful diagnostic method, giving a positive result in 37 cases (84%); multiple examinations were often necessary. Faecal culture was positive in 30 cases (68%), but examination of duodenal fluid obtained with the string test gave a positive result in only 17 (39%). The mean blood eosinophil count and mean serum IgE concentration were higher in the infected men, though normal values were often found in individual cases. Clinical manifestations of isolated strongyloides infection were analysed by comparing the infected men with control groups of ex-prisoners in south-east Asia without proved strongyloidiasis and ex-prisoners in Europe. Twenty-nine infected men (66%) complained of non-specific urticaria, and 13 (30%) had pathognomonic larva currens. Gastrointestinal symptoms significantly more common in the infected group were diarrhoea, indigestion, lower abdominal pain, pruritus ani, and weight loss (p <0.05-p <0.0005).The study group was thought to be reasonably representative of Allied ex-servicemen imprisoned in south-east Asia during the second world war. Probably there are many thousands of infected persons in several countries. The worm has an unusual ability to multiply, and larvae may spread throughout the body in immunosuppressed subjects.
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PMID:Strongyloidiasis in Allied ex-prisoners of war in south-east Asia. 737 Jun 2

Twenty-six persons from five families comprising 34 members residing in different areas of Saptari district of the eastern region of Nepal developed symptoms of epidemic dropsy over 6-8 weeks. Seventeen patients were studied during July-August 1996. The age of affected individuals varied from 3 to 75 years. Members who had not consumed food cooked in mustard oil or who were not residing with the family were spared. Mustard oil, which was used for cooking, was found to be contaminated with oil of Argemone mexicana seeds. Sanguinarine was detected in all mustard oil samples collected from the homes of affected families. Gastrointestinal symptoms were present in 82 per cent of cases a week or so prior to the onset of pedal oedema. Pitting oedema of the lower limbs, fever, and darkening of the skin were the most consistent features, found in all cases. Other prominent features such as local erythema (82 per cent) and tenderness (88 per cent) of the lower limbs were present in most cases. Two striking features not previously noted were perianal itching (100 per cent) and severe carditis (35 per cent) with congestive cardiac failure (29 per cent). Other unique features noted were 'sarcoid' skin changes (18 per cent), bilateral pleural effusion, and Roth's spots and subhyloid haemorrhages in the fundus in one patient. Other important findings were anaemia (88 per cent), hepatomegaly (41 per cent), pneumonia (35 per cent) and ascites (12 per cent). There were no deaths due to epidemic dropsy. In the majority of cases, oedema, cutaneous changes, and carditis showed a marked improvement in 2-3 weeks and patients were well after 6-8 weeks of follow-up.
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PMID:Epidemic dropsy in the eastern region of Nepal. 1019 86

The term chronic renal failure (CRF) usually means the final stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD) with a decline in glomerular filtration rate (GF) below 0.25 mL/s. CRF is a world-wide serious health and economic issue with an increasing incidence and prevalence. CRF patients are, in comparison to other patients, hospitalized more often and for longer and, despite improvements in care, their quality of life is usually low and morbidity and mortality high. We present an overview of the most important CKD risk factors and the diseases most likely to result in CRF. Diabetic nephropathy, followed by various forms ofischemic renal disease and primary and secondary glomerulopathy, chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease are the leading causes of CRF. We provide a brief overview of other disease states that may result in renal failure. Clinical manifestations of CRF are discussed, mainly cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, haematological and neurological symptoms. Breathlessness is a consequence of hypervolaemia, metabolic acidosis and anaemia. The disease often presents with symptoms, such as headache and visual disturbances, resulting from arterial hypertension. Gastrointestinal symptoms and fatigue, usually caused by anaemia, are frequent. Platelet dysfunction is manifested as an increased bleeding time. Paradoxically, apart form tendency to abnormal bleeding, CRF also tends to be associated with thromboembolic complications. Patients may experience itching, bone, joint and muscle aches, are more prone to infections. They may suffer from insomnia, concentration disorders and apathy. The signs of peripheral mixed sensory-motor neuropathy include paraesthesia, paresis and restless leg syndrome. However, renal failure may also be oligosymptomatic or asymptomatic. Cardiovascular complications are the most frequent cause of morbidity and mortality of CRF patients.
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PMID:[Aetiology and a clinical picture of chronic renal failure]. 2187 93

Pruritus is a common symptom in systemic sclerosis (SSc), an autoimmune disease which causes fibrosis and vasculopathy in skin, lung, and gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Unfortunately, pruritus has limited treatment options in this disease. Pilot trials of low-dose naltrexone hydrochloride (LDN) for pruritus, pain, and quality of life (QOL) in other GIT diseases have been successful. In this case series we report three patients that had significant improvement in pruritus and total GIT symptoms as measured by the 10-point faces scale and the University of California Los Angeles Scleroderma Clinical Trials Consortium Gastrointestinal Tract 2.0 (UCLA SCTC GIT 2.0) questionnaire. This small case series suggests LDN may be an effective, highly tolerable, and inexpensive treatment for pruritus and GIT symptoms in SSc.
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PMID:Low-dose naltrexone for pruritus in systemic sclerosis. 2191 49

Ciguatera toxicity is a poisoning from consuming reef fish that had fed on dinoflagellates such as Gambierdiscus toxicus found along coral reefs. The toxin is oil soluble, odorless, colorless, tasteless, heat stable, and is concentrated in larger carnivorous fish such as amberjack, barracuda, eel, grouper, red snapper, sea bass, and Spanish mackerel. Onset of symptoms is usually within 6-12 hours after ingestion. Gastrointestinal symptoms lasting 1-2 days include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Neurological symptoms may persist for weeks or several months or--rarely--years and include circumoral and extremity paresthesias, temperature sensation reversal, itching, weakness, ataxia, and others. A patient with burning hands and feet who had not found relief using other methods had diagnosis of ciguatera toxicity assisted by hypnotically refreshed memory followed by rapid relief with hypnotic suggestions in 1 session and remained free of symptoms.
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PMID:Hypnosis to alleviate the symptoms of ciguatera toxicity: a case study. 2244 20