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. 2014:2014:938576.
doi: 10.1155/2014/938576. Epub 2014 Mar 11.

Unique cytokine signature in the plasma of patients with fibromyalgia

Jamie Sturgill  1 , Elizabeth McGee  2 , Victoria Menzies  1
Affiliations

Unique cytokine signature in the plasma of patients with fibromyalgia

Jamie Sturgill et al. J Immunol Res. 2014.

Abstract

Fibromyalgia (FMS) is a chronic pain syndrome with a complex but poorly understood pathogenesis affecting approximately 10 million adults in the United States. The lack of a clear etiology of FMS has limited the effective diagnosis and treatment of this debilitating condition. The objective of this secondary data analysis was to examine plasma cytokine levels in women with FMS using the Bio-Plex Human Cytokine 17-plex Assay. Post hoc analysis of plasma cytokine levels was performed to evaluate patterns that were not specified a priori. Upon examination, patients with FMS exhibited a marked reduction in T(H)2 cytokines such as IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13. The finding of this pattern of altered cytokine milieu not only supports the role of inflammation in FMS but also may lead to more definitive diagnostic tools for clinicians treating FMS. The TH2 suppression provides strong evidence of immune dysregulation in patients with FMS.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Correlation of pain and TH2 cytokines. A total TH2 value was determined by adding plasma values of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13. A total pain value was determined adding BPI-I and BPI-S using the Brief Pain Inventory scale as described in the material and methods. A Spearman's Correlation was performed on the two values using SigmaPlot and data is shown. Correlation coefficient −0.391, P value 0.07.
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