Association of uremic pruritus in hemodialysis patients with the number of days of high mean 24-hour particulate matter with a diameter of <2.5 μm

Abstract

Ming-Hui Liu,1,* Ming-Jen Chan,2,* Ching-Wei Hsu,2,3 Cheng-Hao Weng,2,3 Tzung-Hai Yen,2,3 Wen-Hung Huang2,3 1Department of Pediatric Dentistry, 2Department of Nephrology and Division of Clinical Toxicology and Toxicology Laboratory, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center, 3Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Uremic pruritus (UP) is a common and incapacitating symptom in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD). The pathogenesis of UP is multifactorial and complex. Particulate matter (PM), a major air pollutant, is a mixture of particles with various chemical compositions. PM is associated with several allergic diseases, including dermatitis. To assess the role of PM (PM with a diameter of <10 µm [PM10] and PM with a diameter of <2.5 µm [PM2.5]) and other clinical variables in UP in patients on HD, we recruited 866 patients on maintenance HD (MHD). We analyzed the number of days of mean 24-hour PM10 ≥125 µg/m3/12 months (NDPM10) or the number of days of mean 24-hour PM2.5 ≥35 µg/m3/12 months (NDPM2.5) exceeding the standard level in the past 12 months respectively to determine the association with UP. In a multivariate logistic regression, HD duration, serum ferritin levels, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, and NDPM2.5 ≥116 days/12 months were positively associated with UP. This cross-sectional study showed that the number of days on which the environmental PM2.5 exceeds the standard level might be associated with UP in patients on MHD. Keywords: air pollution, uremic pruritus, environmental particulate matter, PM2.5

Keywords

• air pollution
• uremic pruritus
• environmental particulate matter
• PM2.5