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Cutaneous Mast Cell Quantity in Pruritic and Nonpruritic Hemodialysis Patients
Author(s) -
Klein Laura R.,
Klein Jon B.,
Hanno Ruth,
Callen Jeffrey P.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
international journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1365-4632
pISSN - 0011-9059
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-4362.1988.tb02404.x
Subject(s) - medicine , hemodialysis , mast cell , etiology , dermatology , biopsy , complication , surgery , pathology , immunology
Pruritus remains a significant complication of end‐stage renal disease. Its cause in hemodialysis patients is not known. It has been postulated that increased numbers of mast cells occur in these patients and may account for the presence of pruritus. Our objective was to determine if there is a difference in the number of cutaneosus mast cells between pruritic and nonpruritic patients. A 3‐mm punch biopsy specimen was obtained from pruritic (n = 7) and nonpruritic (n ‐ 6) hemodialysis patients. We observed no significant difference in the quantity of cutaneous mast cells in pruritic and nonpruritic hemodialysis patients. We conclude that the etiology of pruritus in hemodialysis patients is not related to an increase in the number of cutaneous mast cells.