Serum interleukin-31 level and pruritus in atopic dermatitis: A Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate associations of interleukin-31 (IL-31) and pruritus in atopic dermatitis (AD) with Meta-analysis.
 Methods: Materials were extracted from the citations listed in the following databases: PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science and Cochrane. Key search terms included: atopic dermatitis, pruritus, and IL-31. The Meta-analysis was used to analyze the correlation between pruritws in AD and IL-31 expression level.
 Results: The Meta-analysis showed that serum IL-31 levels were higher in AD patients than those in the healthy controls. The levels of IL-31 were higher in severe AD patients than those in the mild and moderate AD patients. Moreover, a positive correlation between serum IL-31 levels and severity of pruritus was identified.
 Conclusion: Increased serum levels of IL-31 generally exist in the AD patients, and it may accelerate the pruritus in the AD patients.