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)

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is a syndrome usually manifesting during the third trimester of pregnancy and disappearing after delivery. Multiple factors seem to be involved in pathogenesis of the syndrome; however, ICP appears to take place in women congenitally hypersensitive to estrogens. Typical is pruritus, which may be followed by jaundice and associated with other less common symptoms. The biochemical parameters are characteristically altered: an increase in the levels of aminotransferases (AST, ALT), total bile acids and alkaline phosphatase is observed; while serum GGT are normal. Maternal prognosis is benign. By contrast, a higher risk of acute fetal distress and prematurity has been reported. Various drugs are used in the treatment of ICP. We present the case of a patient treated with S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SaMe). SaMe therapy has proved to be effective in improving the altered biochemical parameters, whose normalization was obtained before delivery.
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PMID:[Intrahepatic cholestasis in pregnancy]. 911 20

Pruritus is a common symptom of chronic cholestatic liver diseases but is considered rare in chronic hepatitis. We observed pruritus to be an unusually common complaint in patients with advanced chronic hepatitis C. We reviewed the records of 175 chronic hepatitis C patients to identify patients with severe, diffuse, unexplained pruritus; 12 consecutive prospective patients undergoing liver biopsy for chronic hepatitis C served as controls. Assessment included laboratory biochemical tests and assessment of liver pathology by stage, grade, hepatic activity index, and a bile duct score. Pruritus was present in nine (5.1%) patients. Serum AST, ALT, alkaline phosphatase, GGTP, total bilirubin, and ferritin were similar in pruritics and controls. Pruritics had higher serum bile acids (2028.4 +/- 223.1 mmol/liter vs 423.1 +/- 194.3, P < 0.001), higher transferrin saturation (57.5 +/- 6.8% vs 33.2 +/- 3.3, P < 0.01), and lower HCV RNA by bDNA (24.5 +/- 12.7 x 10(5) vs 172.7 +/- 54.1 x 10(5), P < 0.05). Pathology revealed cirrhosis in 6/9 (66.6%) pruritics vs 1/12 (8.3%) controls (P < 0.01). Pruritics had higher pathologic stage (3.7 +/- 0.2 vs 2.2 +/- 0.4, P < 0.01), grade (4.4 +/- 0.2 vs 2.1 +/- 0.2, P < 0.001), activity index (14.3 +/- 1.9 vs 8.6 +/- 1.9, P < 0.025), and bile duct score (7.6 +/- 0.6 vs 4.7 +/- 0.4, P < 0.01). Of eight pruritics treated with IFN-alpha2b, two had complete ALT response and one relapsed. Pruritus followed a relapsing course and only three patients partially responded despite a variety of interventions. In conclusion, pruritus is a common complication of advanced CHC. Its presence is associated with high serum bile acids, advanced pathology and bile duct abnormalities. The clinical course of pruritus is relapsing and response to therapy is inconsistent. These features suggest that pruritus in CHC has a pathogenesis that may vary from that of chronic cholestatic diseases.
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PMID:Pruritus in chronic hepatitis C: association with high serum bile acids, advanced pathology, and bile duct abnormalities. 914 69

Determining the possible association of viral hepatitis infection and degree of pruritus is the primary concern of this study. Ninety-six adequately dialyzed CAPD patients (47 male and 49 female) and 526 normal controls (266 male and 260 female) were enrolled. Blood hemoglobin, ferritin, electrolytes, calcium, phosphate, albumin, urea, creatinine, aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase, and bilirubin were analyzed by routine methods. Serum HBsAg was examined, using a radioimmunoassay method and the anti-HCV, an enzyme immunoassay method. All cases were interviewed with a standardized questionnaire. The highest possible pruritus score (PS) was 22. The prevalences of HBsAg(+) and anti-HCV(+) were 14.6% and 17.7%, respectively. The mean PS in all 96 CAPD patients was 11.6 (range 7-22). The mean PS were 11.8 +/- 0.6 and 12.5 +/- 1.0 for patients infected with HBV and HCV, respectively. Both were significantly higher than that (10 +/- 0.9) of patients without hepatitis infection. AST and ALT were significantly higher in patients infected with viral hepatitis than those without. The other biochemical parameters were not significant. Thirty-seven (38.5%) of our 96 patients had mild pruritus (PS < or = 7) and 11 (15.9%) had severe pruritus (PS > or = 15). Of the 83.9% (26/31) patients with viral hepatitis, the grades of skin itching were moderate to severe; whereas those of the patients without viral hepatitis, 53.6% (37/69) belonged to the group of moderate to severe pruritus (p = 0.003, chi 2 test with Yates' correction). The authors recommended screening of viral hepatitis infection to be undertaken for uremic patients with unexplained skin itching.
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PMID:Viral hepatitis infection should be considered for evaluating uremic pruritus in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients. 968 Nov 57

Heptral (S-adenosine-L-methionine) was given to 32 patients with chronic diffuse diseases of the liver and intrahepatic cholestasis. 16 of them had primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). Phase I of the treatment lasted 16 days when the drug was injected intravenously in a dose 800 mg/day. It was followed by phase 2--1600 mg/day taken for 16 days. A response was registered in the majority of patients. They had relieved symptoms of asthenia, skin pruritus, jaundice. The patients with liver cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis exhibited a statistically significant fall in ALT, AST and GGTP. PBS patients showed insignificant lowering of cholesterol, bilirubin. No resistance was noted in repeated courses. Heptral tolerance was satisfactory.
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PMID:[Clinical trial of heptral in patients with chronic diffuse liver disease with intrahepatic cholestasis syndrome]. 986 18

Immediate-release niacin manifests beneficial effects in cardiovascular disease with respect to dyslipidemic states. It lowers low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, lipoprotein(a), and apoprotein B; at the same time, it increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, HDL2, and apoprotein A-I. However, use of crystalline niacin has drawbacks: therapy requires multidose regimens, and side effects include flushing and pruritus. Slowing absorption with sustained-release formulations succeeds in decreasing flushing and increasing tolerance, but increases in hepatic enzyme levels have raised safety concerns. A new extended-release, once-daily formulation of niacin (Niaspan) shows promise in minimizing flushing while avoiding hepatotoxicity. A multicenter, randomized, double-blind clinical trial of Niaspan enrolled 122 patients with confirmed diagnosis of primary dyslipidemia (LDL cholesterol >4.14 mmol/L [160 mg/dL] and triglycerides <9 mmol/L [800 mg/dL]) into 3 treatment groups: (1) Niaspan 1,000 mg/day; (2) Niaspan 2,000 mg/day; and (3) placebo. The primary treatment endpoint was LDL-cholesterol level. This endpoint was not significantly affected by placebo (0.2% increase), but Niaspan decreased LDL cholesterol by 5.8% (1,000 mg/day) and 14.6% (2,000 mg/day) (p <0.001). Likewise, with placebo there were significant changes in total cholesterol, triglycerides, lipoprotein(a), and apoprotein B, whereas both Niaspan 1,000 and 2,000 mg/day significantly (p <0.001) decreased these parameters. In addition, both Niaspan groups showed significant (p <0.001) increases in HDL cholesterol (17% and 23%, respectively), including HDL subfractions. With respect to flushing, 20% of the placebo group reported at least 1 episode, whereas 88% and 83% of the Niaspon 1,000- and 2,000-mg/day groups, respectively, reported episodes. There was no hepatotoxicity as liver enzyme levels remained within clinically accepted limits in all treatment groups. However, Niaspan 2,000 mg/day showed a significant increase in aspartate aminotransferase compared with baseline and placebo. This trial demonstrated a cholesterol-modifying effect of Niaspan consistent with those reported for niacin, but demonstrated a better tolerance for flushing. Moreover, in contrast to sustained-release formulations, Niaspan showed relatively mild hepatic effects.
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PMID:A new extended-release niacin (Niaspan): efficacy, tolerability, and safety in hypercholesterolemic patients. 991 60

Niacin is a useful lipid-modifying drug because it (1) decreases low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and lipoprotein(a), and (2) raises high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Its use tends to be limited by side effects and inconvenient dosing regimens. The availability of an extended-release preparation (Niaspan-which has safety and efficacy similar to immediate-release niacin but which can be given once a day) provides an opportunity to increase the use of this effective lipid-modifying agent. To study the safety and efficacy of escalating doses of extended-release niacin, hyperlipidemic patients were randomly assigned to placebo or Niaspan. A forced dose-titration was done with the dosage increasing by 500 mg every 4 weeks to a maximum of 3,000 mg/day. Niaspan showed dose-related changes in total, LDL, and HDL cholesterol levels, triglycerides, cholesterol/HDL ratio, and lipoprotein(a). At a dosage of 2,000 mg/day, total cholesterol decreased by 12.1%, LDL cholesterol by 16.7%, triglycerides by 34.5%, and lipoprotein(a) by 23.6%; HDL cholesterol increased by 25.8%. Flushing was the most commonly reported side effect; flushing episodes tended to decrease with time despite an increasing dose of niacin. Of the reported side effects, only pruritus and rash were significantly different between the 2 groups. Aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, and uric acid increased in a dose-dependent fashion, but fasting blood sugar increased by about 5% across most dosages. Two subjects had aspartate aminotransferase levels greater than twice the upper limit of normal, but there were no subjects in whom transaminases increased to 3 times the upper limit of normal. Women tended to have a greater LDL cholesterol response to the medication and also experienced more side effects, especially at higher dosages. Thus, the use of lower dosages of niacin may be desirable in women. The results of this dose-escalation study show beneficial effects of Niaspan on the entire lipid profile. At the maximum recommended dosage of 2,000 mg/day, all lipid and lipoprotein levels changed in desirable directions. Side effects (other than flushing) and blood chemistries were comparable to those seen with immediate-release niacin.
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PMID:Clinical trial experience with extended-release niacin (Niaspan): dose-escalation study. 991 61

Standard chemotherapy for tuberculosis (TB) in children uses hepatotoxic drugs. Published data and guidelines on monitoring of liver function during TB treatment are often contradictory and not directly relevant to the pediatric population. We carefully monitored 43 children (age 6.6 years, 0.7-15.1 [median, range]; 49% male; 72% Caucasian) being treated for TB infection (n = 8) or disease (n = 35) with triple therapy, using pyrazinamide, rifampicin, and isoniazid in standard recommended doses. Children on other hepatotoxic drugs were excluded. Measurements of liver function tests (LFT) included aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and bilirubin, and they were checked before and a median of 5 times (1-23) during treatment. Only one child had mildly abnormal LFTs pretreatment. Thirteen children (n = 13, [30%]; age 7.6 years, 1.8-10.9; 54% male; 77% Caucasian) developed abnormal LFTs (> mean + 2 SD) and of these 10 had TB disease. Eight of the 13 had mildly elevated enzymes (< twice upper limit of normal) while in five, all with disease, the enzymes were more markedly raised. In the group with normal LFTs (n = 30, [70%]; age 6.6 years 0.7-15.1; 47% male; 70% Caucasian) 25 had disease (83%). Liver enzyme elevation occurred early (1.65 weeks, 0.6-16.6). Only two children had symptoms (one jaundice, one pruritus) with treatment being stopped temporarily only in the jaundiced child. Otherwise, LFTs normalized without interrupting treatment. We conclude that elevated liver enzymes are not uncommon in children receiving triple therapy for TB, generally occurring early in treatment. Symptoms are rare. Current British Thoracic Society and American Thoracic Society guidelines (that if LFTs are normal prior to treatment then further monitoring should only be performed if clinically indicated) seem adequate for children.
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PMID:Hepatic enzyme abnormalities in children on triple therapy for tuberculosis. 1002 90

This study sought to identify any benefit of routine liver function tests (LFTs) in chronically ill, geriatric patients and to assess which patients require evaluation for abnormal LFT levels. A retrospective chart review was carried out on 268 consecutive patients (M:F = 1.2, mean age 77 years, range 61-98 years) presenting for acute care from a long-term care facility. All were without jaundice, right upper quadrant pain, pruritus, bruising, or signs of chronic liver disease. The degree of LFT abnormality (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin, or alkaline phosphatase) during admission was compared to the clinical diagnosis at the time of discharge. The most common diagnoses were pneumonia, urinary tract infection, and peripheral or coronary disease in 186 (60%). Thirty-seven patients (14%) had elevated LFT levels on admission. The levels normalized within 2 days in 26 of these patients, 25 of whom had a history of vascular disease (96%). Of the 11 remaining patients, 4 had coexistent vascular disease (36%), and 5 had LFT levels twice normal (none with vascular disease) and underwent abdominal ultrasound. One patient had a common bile duct stone successfully extracted. Enzyme abnormalities were due to hepatitis B or medication use in 10 of 11 patients. No patient had liver biopsy. All but one of the 268 patients were discharged without further evaluation. Over one year of follow up, no patient returned for a liver-related problem. Based on these findings, only those patients with LFT levels that are twice normal and which do not normalize within 2 days warrant further evaluation. Transient LFT abnormalities may be due to decreased liver perfusion.
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PMID:Outcomes of routine testing of liver enzymes in institutionalized geriatric patients. 1016 61

The beneficial effect of ursodeoxycholic add have been documented in adults but experience with this agent is limited in the pediatric population. The objective of this study was to evaluate ursodeoxycholic acid treatment in children with cholestatic liver disease. Twenty-four patients with intrahepatic cholestasis (neonatal hepatitis 7, Byler disease 7, idiopathic intrahepatic cholestasis 10) whose ages ranged from 1.5 months to 15 years were treated with ursodeoxycholic acid (15-20 mg/kg/day) for 12 months. Liver biopsy was performed initially on all patients and on 17 at the end of the twelve months. The outcome was evaluated by monitoring clinical and biochemical markers of cholestasis, including alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, cholesterol, total serum tasting bile acids and total and conjugated bilirubin at entry and every three months of treatment. Pruritus was ameliorated in all patients; there was complete disappearance of itching in 16.7 percent. There were significant decreases in mean serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase. Liver biopsy specimens showed a significant improvement in the cholestasis but not in fibrosis. No adverse effects of therapy were noted. The improvements in the clinical and biochemical parameters and tolerability of the drug suggest that ursodeoxycholic acid is a safe and effective treatment in children with intrahepatic cholestasis.
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PMID:Ursodeoxycholic acid therapy in children with cholestatic liver disease. 1077 Jun 81

We report a 72 years old diabetic male that, after the use of combined amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, developed pruritus and jaundice. Liver function tests showed serum total bilirubin of 4.3 mg/dL aspartate aminotransferase 140 U/l (normal < 35 U/L), alanine aminotransferase 470 U/L (normal < 40) and alkaline phosphatases of 400 U/L (normal < 100). Serology for hepatitis A, B and C viruses was negative, ERCP showed a normal biliary tree and liver biopsy disclosed a cholestatic hepatitis. Ursodeoxycholic was started to relieve pruritus. Liver function tests improved shortly thereafter, suggesting that this drug may be useful in the treatment of drug induced cholestasis.
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PMID:[Hepatotoxicity by amoxicillin/clavulanic acid: case report]. 1083 57


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