Uremic pruritus and serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor in diabetic and non-diabetic haemodialysis patients

INTRODUCTION: Even though uremic pruritus (UP) is very troublesome for haemodialysis (HD) patients, its underlying mechanism is not fully understood. AIM: Due to the possible role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its higher serum concentration in haemodialysis diabetic patients compared to non-diabetic ones, this study is aimed to evaluate its association with UP among diabetic and non-diabetic patients on maintenance HD. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 94 patients were enrolled into the study. A visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to assess pruritus. RESULTS: No differences were found between the observed study groups in terms of BDNF serum concentration, other biochemical markers, sleep disturbances, or pruritus presentation. CONCLUSIONS: BDNF serum concentration was not found to be associated with UP among HD patients, however further studies are worth performing on a larger group of individuals.