RT Book, Section A1 Shinkai, Kanade A1 Fox, Lindy P. A2 Papadakis, Maxine A. A2 McPhee, Stephen J. A2 Rabow, Michael W. A2 McQuaid, Kenneth R. SR Print(0) ID 1188115407 T1 Pruritus T2 Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2022 YR 2022 FD 2022 PB McGraw-Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 9781264269389 LK accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1188115407 RD 2024/03/29 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.