TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Pruritus A1 - Shinkai, Kanade A1 - Fox, Lindy P. A2 - Papadakis, Maxine A. A2 - McPhee, Stephen J. A2 - Rabow, Michael W. A2 - McQuaid, Kenneth R. PY - 2022 T2 - Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2022 AB - Pruritus is the sensation that provokes a desire to scratch. Pruritus as a medical complaint is 40% as common as low back pain. Elderly Asian men are most significantly affected, with 20% of all health care visits in Asian men over the age of 65 involving the complaint of itch. The quality of life of a patient with chronic pruritus is the same as a patient undergoing hemodialysis. Evidence suggests that increased interleukin-31 (IL-31) signaling through the IL-31 receptor on epithelial cells and keratinocytes is associated with itch, especially in allergic skin disease. It also appears that Il-4 and Il-13 (via binding to the Il-4R) lower the itch threshold of sensory neurons. Janus kinase signaling (which occurs downstream from the Il-4R) is also important in the pathophysiology of itch. SN - PB - McGraw-Hill Education CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/03/29 UR - accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1188115407 ER -