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Itch Scores (itch + score)

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Medical Sciences	100%

Selected Abstracts

Severity scores, itch scores and plasma substance P levels in atopic dermatitis treated with standard topical therapy with oral olopatadine hydrochloride

THE JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 4 2009
Chisato HOSOKAWA
ABSTRACT Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic or chronically relapsing, severely pruritic, eczematous skin disease. Recently, substance P (SP) has been demonstrated to be one of the important neuropeptides for mediating itch,scratch and stress,scratch cycles. In this study, we examined the severity scores, itch scores and plasma SP levels in 19 patients with AD treated with standard topical therapy with or without an oral antihistamine, olopatadine hydrochloride, for 4 weeks. The standard therapy decreased SCORAD scores, itch behavioral rating scores and plasma SP levels at post-treatment in the mass, but the topical therapy with olopatadine was more effective than the topical therapy alone, suggesting a potential additive effect. [source]

An open-label, dose-ranging study of methotrexate for moderate-to-severe adult atopic eczema

BRITISH JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 2 2007
S.C. Weatherhead
Summary Background, Treatment options for moderate-to-severe atopic eczema are limited. Although methotrexate (MTX) is a widely used and effective treatment for psoriasis, there have been no previous prospective trials of its use in refractory atopic eczema, despite a few small, retrospective reports suggesting that it is a well-tolerated and effective treatment. Objectives, We have assessed the safety and efficacy of oral MTX in 12 adults with moderate-to-severe atopic eczema in an open-label, dose-ranging, prospective trial using objective outcome measures. Methods, All patients had previously received other second-line therapies and had disease only partially responsive to potent topical steroids and emollients. During the 24-week MTX treatment period, unrestricted use of standard topical therapy was permitted. We used an incremental MTX dose regime, starting at 10 mg per week (following a 5-mg test dose) and increasing by 2·5 mg weekly until response was achieved or treatment was limited by toxicity. Disease activity [six area six sign atopic dermatitis (SASSAD) score] was assessed every 4 weeks during treatment and 12 weeks after stopping MTX. The primary endpoint was 24-week change in disease activity. Results, On average, disease activity improved by 52% from baseline (95% confidence interval 45,60%). There were significant improvements in quality of life, body surface area affected and loss of sleep and itch scores. Global response was rated as ,marked improvement' in five of 12 and six of 12 patients, by investigators and patients, respectively. In all patients, the majority of improvement in disease activity was seen by week 12, and, interestingly, patients who had not responded well over this period despite reaching a dose of 15 mg weekly failed to improve with further dose escalation. Only one patient withdrew due to minor adverse effects. MTX was well tolerated by the remaining 11 patients, all of whom completed treatment, achieving a median dose of 15 mg weekly. Importantly, eight of nine patients had a persistent improvement 12 weeks after stopping MTX, with mean disease activity remaining 34% below baseline. Conclusions, We have shown that MTX is an effective, well-tolerated treatment for moderate-to-severe atopic eczema, and response appears to compare favourably with other second-line therapies. A randomized, controlled trial is now warranted. [source]

Nedocromil sodium inhibits histamine-induced itch and flare in human skin

BRITISH JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 3 2001
Poonam Ahluwalia
This study was designed to test the hypothesis that nedocromil sodium inhibits sensory nerve function to reduce flare and itch in human skin. Nedocromil sodium (2%) or water (control) was introduced into the volar forearm skin of eight non-atopic volunteers by iontophoresis (8 mC) and histamine (20 ,l of 1 ,M and 300 nM) injected intradermally 10 min later at the same site. Itch was assessed on a visual analogue scale every 20 s for 5 min. Weal and flare areas and mean blood flux within the flare were assessed by scanning laser Doppler imaging at 10 min. The results showed that nedocromil sodium reduced itch scores, totalled over 5 min, by ,74.0% (P<0.005) and flare areas by ,65% (P<0.03). Neither weal areas nor blood flux within were reduced. These data demonstrate that nedocromil sodium is effective in reducing neurogenic itch and flare in the skin. We suggest that its mechanism of action is modulation of sensory neurone activation or conduction in the skin. British Journal of Pharmacology (2001) 132, 613,616; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0703852 [source]