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Inflammatory Blood Signature Related to Common Psychological Comorbidity in Chronic Pain. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11030713. [PMID: 36979692 PMCID: PMC10045222 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11030713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain is characterized by high psychological comorbidity, and diagnoses are symptom-based due to a lack of clear pathophysiological factors and valid biomarkers. We investigate if inflammatory blood biomarker signatures are associated with pain intensity and psychological comorbidity in a mixed chronic pain population. Eighty-one patients (72% women) with chronic pain (>6 months) were included. Patient reported outcomes were collected, and blood was analyzed with the Proseek Multiplex Olink Inflammation Panel (Bioscience Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden), resulting in 77 inflammatory markers included for multivariate data analysis. Three subgroups of chronic pain patients were identified using an unsupervised principal component analysis. No difference between the subgroups was seen in pain intensity, but differences were seen in mental health and inflammatory profiles. Ten inflammatory proteins were significantly associated with anxiety and depression (using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9): STAMBP, SIRT2, AXIN1, CASP-8, ADA, IL-7, CD40, CXCL1, CXCL5, and CD244. No markers were related to pain intensity. Fifteen proteins could differentiate between patients with moderate/high (GAD-7/PHQ-9 > 10) or mild/no (GAD-7/PHQ-9 < 10) psychological comorbidity. This study further contributes to the increasing knowledge of the importance of inflammation in chronic pain conditions and indicates that specific inflammatory proteins may be related to psychological comorbidity.
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Unbiased proteomic analysis detects painful systemic inflammatory profile in the serum of nerve-injured mice. Pain 2023; 164:e77-e90. [PMID: 35587992 PMCID: PMC9833115 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Neuropathic pain is a complex, debilitating disease that results from injury to the somatosensory nervous system. The presence of systemic chronic inflammation has been observed in patients with chronic pain but whether it plays a causative role remains unclear. This study aims to determine the perturbation of systemic homeostasis by an injury to peripheral nerve and its involvement in neuropathic pain. We assessed the proteomic profile in the serum of mice at 1 day and 1 month after partial sciatic nerve injury (PSNL) or sham surgery. We also assessed mouse mechanical and cold sensitivity in naïve mice after receiving intravenous administration of serum from PSNL or sham mice. Mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis revealed that PSNL resulted in a long-lasting alteration of serum proteome, where most of the differentially expressed proteins were in inflammation-related pathways, involving cytokines and chemokines, autoantibodies, and complement factors. Although transferring sham serum to naïve mice did not change their pain sensitivity, PSNL serum significantly lowered mechanical thresholds and induced cold hypersensitivity in naïve mice. With broad anti-inflammatory properties, bone marrow cell extracts not only partially restored serum proteomic homeostasis but also significantly ameliorated PSNL-induced mechanical allodynia, and serum from bone marrow cell extracts-treated PSNL mice no longer induced hypersensitivity in naïve mice. These findings clearly demonstrate that nerve injury has a long-lasting impact on systemic homeostasis, and nerve injury-associated systemic inflammation contributes to the development of neuropathic pain.
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Cisneros E, Martínez-Padilla A, Cardenas C, Márquez J, Ortega de Mues A, Roza C. Identification of Potential Visceral Pain Biomarkers in Colon Exudates from Mice with Experimental Colitis: An Exploratory In Vitro Study. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2023; 24:874-887. [PMID: 36638875 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2023.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Chronic visceral pain (CVP) is extremely difficult to diagnose, and available analgesic treatment options are quite limited. Identifying the proteins secreted from the colonic nociceptors, or their neighbor cells within the tube walls, in the context of disorders that course with visceral pain, might be useful to decipher the mechanism involved in the establishment of CVP. Addressing this question in human with gastrointestinal disorders entails multiple difficulties, as there is not a clear classification of disease severity, and colonic secretion is not easy to manage. We propose using of a murine model of colitis to identify new algesic molecules and pathways that could be explored as pain biomarkers or analgesia targets. Descending colons from naïve and colitis mice with visceral hyperalgesia were excised and maintained ex vivo. The proteins secreted in the perfusion fluid before and during acute noxious distension were evaluated using high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS). Haptoglobin (Hp), PZD and LIM domain protein 3 (Pdlim3), NADP-dependent malic enzyme (Me1), and Apolipoprotein A-I (Apoa1) were increased during visceral insult, whilst Triosephosphate isomerase (Tpi1), Glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (Gpi1), Alpha-enolase (Eno1), and Isoform 2 of Tropomyosin alpha-1 chain (Tpm1) were decreased. Most identified proteins have been described in the context of different chronic pain conditions and, according to gene ontology analysis, they are also involved in diverse biological processes of relevance. Thus, animal models that mimic human conditions in combination with unbiased omics approaches will ultimately help to identify new pathophysiological mechanisms underlying pain that might be useful in diagnosing and treating pain. PERSPECTIVE: Our study utilizes an unbiased proteomic approach to determine, first, the clinical relevance of a murine model of colitis and, second, to identify novel molecules/pathways involved in nociception that would be potential biomarkers or targets for chronic visceral pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsa Cisneros
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Internacional de la Rioja (UNIR), Logroño, La Rioja, Spain
| | - Anabel Martínez-Padilla
- Canceromics Lab, Departamento de Biología Molecular y Bioquímica, Facultad de Ciencias e Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA-Plataforma BIONAND), Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Casimiro Cardenas
- Canceromics Lab, Departamento de Biología Molecular y Bioquímica, Facultad de Ciencias e Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA-Plataforma BIONAND), Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain; Proteomics Unit, Central Facility of Research Infrastructures (SCAI), Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Javier Márquez
- Canceromics Lab, Departamento de Biología Molecular y Bioquímica, Facultad de Ciencias e Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA-Plataforma BIONAND), Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | | | - Carolina Roza
- Departamento de Biología de Sistemas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.
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Gerdle B, Wåhlén K, Gordh T, Bäckryd E, Carlsson A, Ghafouri B. Plasma proteins from several components of the immune system differentiate chronic widespread pain patients from healthy controls - an exploratory case-control study combining targeted and non-targeted protein identification. Medicine (Baltimore) 2022; 101:e31013. [PMID: 36401429 PMCID: PMC9678582 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000031013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic widespread pain (CWP), including fibromyalgia (FM), is characterized by generalized musculoskeletal pain and hyperalgesia. Plasma proteins from proteomics (non-targeted) and from targeted inflammatory panels (cytokines/chemokines) differentiate CWP/FM from controls. The importance of proteins obtained from these two sources, the protein-protein association network, and the biological processes involved were investigated. Plasma proteins from women with CWP (n = 15) and CON (n = 23) were analyzed using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis analysis and a multiplex proximity extension assay for analysis of cytokines/chemokines. Associations between the proteins and group were multivarietly analyzed. The protein-protein association network and the biological processes according to the Gene Ontology were investigated. Proteins from both sources were important for group differentiation; the majority from the two-dimensional gel electrophoresis analysis. 58 proteins significantly differentiated the two groups (R2 = 0.83). A significantly enriched network was found; biological processes were acute phase response, complement activation, and innate immune response. As with other studies, this study shows that plasma proteins can differentiate CWP from healthy subjects. Focusing on cytokines/chemokines is not sufficient to grasp the peripheral biological processes that maintain CWP/FM since our results show that other components of the immune and inflammation systems are also highly significant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Björn Gerdle
- Pain and Rehabilitation Centre, and Department of Health, Medicine, and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- *Correspondence: Björn Gerdle, Pain and Rehabilitation Centre and Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 85 Linköping, Sweden (e-mail: )
| | - Karin Wåhlén
- Pain and Rehabilitation Centre, and Department of Health, Medicine, and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Torsten Gordh
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Emmanuel Bäckryd
- Pain and Rehabilitation Centre, and Department of Health, Medicine, and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Anders Carlsson
- Pain and Rehabilitation Centre, and Department of Health, Medicine, and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Bijar Ghafouri
- Pain and Rehabilitation Centre, and Department of Health, Medicine, and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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WÅHLÉN KARIN, YAN HONG, WELINDER CHARLOTTE, ERNBERG MALIN, KOSEK EVA, MANNERKORPI KAISA, GERDLE BJÖRN, GHAFOURI BIJAR. Proteomic Investigation in Plasma from Women with Fibromyalgia in Response to a 15-wk Resistance Exercise Intervention. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2022; 54:232-246. [PMID: 35029590 PMCID: PMC8754090 DOI: 10.1249/mss.0000000000002790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Fibromyalgia (FM) is a complex pain condition, and exercise is considered the first option of treatment. Few studies have examined the effect of exercise on molecular mechanisms in FM. The aim of this study was to analyze the plasma proteome in women with FM and healthy controls (CON) before and after 15 wk of resistance exercise. This study further investigated whether clinical and exercises-related outcomes correlated with identified plasma proteins in FM. METHODS Plasma samples from 40 FM/25 CON (baseline) and 21 FM/24 CON (postexercise) were analyzed using shotgun proteomics. Clinical/background data were retrieved through questionnaires. Exercise-related variables and pressure pain thresholds were assessed using standardized instruments. Multivariate statistics were applied to analyze the proteomic profile at baseline and postexercise, and correlation with clinical/exercise-related data. RESULTS Fifteen weeks of resistance exercises improved clinical symptoms and muscle strength, and affected circulating proteins related to immunity, stress, mRNA stability, metabolic processes, and muscle structure development in FM. Pressure pain threshold was related to a specific protein profile, with proteins involved in metabolic and immune response. Subgroups of FM based on plasma proteins, FM duration, and improved muscle strength were identified. CONCLUSIONS Exercise seems to affect circulating proteins, clinical characteristics, and muscle strength in FM. This study contributes to better understanding of systemic protein changes in FM compared with CON and how resistance exercise affects such changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- KARIN WÅHLÉN
- Pain and Rehabilitation Centre, and Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, SWEDEN
| | - HONG YAN
- BioMS, Lund University, Lund, SWEDEN
| | - CHARLOTTE WELINDER
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Division of Oncology, Lund University, Lund, SWEDEN
| | - MALIN ERNBERG
- Department of Dental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, and Scandinavian Centre for Orofacial Neurosciences (SCON), Huddinge, SWEDEN
| | - EVA KOSEK
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SWEDEN
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SWEDEN
| | - KAISA MANNERKORPI
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Section of Health and Rehabilitation, Physiotherapy, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, SWEDEN
| | - BJÖRN GERDLE
- Pain and Rehabilitation Centre, and Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, SWEDEN
| | - BIJAR GHAFOURI
- Pain and Rehabilitation Centre, and Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, SWEDEN
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Gerdle B, Wåhlén K, Gordh T, Ghafouri B. Thermal Pain Thresholds Are Significantly Associated with Plasma Proteins of the Immune System in Chronic Widespread Pain-An Exploratory Pilot Study Using Multivariate and Network Analyses. J Clin Med 2021; 10:3652. [PMID: 34441948 PMCID: PMC8396857 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10163652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic widespread pain (CWP), including fibromyalgia (FM), is characterized by generalized musculoskeletal pain. An important clinical feature is widespread increased pain sensitivity such as lowered pain thresholds for different stimuli such as heat (HPT) and cold (CPT). There is a growing interest in investigating the activated neurobiological mechanisms in CWP. This explorative proteomic study investigates the multivariate correlation pattern between plasma and muscle proteins and thermal pain thresholds in CWP and in healthy controls (CON). In addition, we analysed whether the important proteins and their networks for CPT and HPT differed between CWP and CON. We used a proteomic approach and analysed plasma and muscle proteins from women with CWP (n = 15) and CON (n = 23). The associations between the proteins and CPT/HPT were analysed using orthogonal partial least square (OPLS). The protein-protein association networks for the important proteins for the two thermal pain thresholds were analysed using STRING database. CWP had lowered pain thresholds for thermal stimulus. These levels were generally not related to the included clinical variables except in CWP for HPT. Highly interacting proteins mainly from plasma showed strong significant associations with CPT and HPT both in CWP and in CON. Marked differences in the important proteins for the two thermal pain thresholds were noted between CWP and CON; more complex patterns emerged in CWP. The important proteins were part of the immune system (acute phase proteins, complement factors, and immunoglobulin factors) or known to interact with the immune system. As expected, CWP had lowered pain thresholds for thermal stimulus. Although different proteins were important in the two groups, there were similarities. For example, proteins related to the host defence/immunity such as acute phase proteins, complement factors, immunoglobulin factors, and cytokines/chemokines (although not in CON for CPT) were important habitual/tonic factors for thermal pain thresholds. The fact that peripheral proteins contribute to thermal pain thresholds does not exclude that central factors also contribute and that complex interactions between peripheral and central factors determine the registered pain thresholds in CWP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Björn Gerdle
- Pain and Rehabilitation Centre, Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 85 Linköping, Sweden; (K.W.); (B.G.)
| | - Karin Wåhlén
- Pain and Rehabilitation Centre, Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 85 Linköping, Sweden; (K.W.); (B.G.)
| | - Torsten Gordh
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, SE-751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; or
| | - Bijar Ghafouri
- Pain and Rehabilitation Centre, Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 85 Linköping, Sweden; (K.W.); (B.G.)
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Evidence of Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Fibromyalgia: Deviating Muscle Energy Metabolism Detected Using Microdialysis and Magnetic Resonance. J Clin Med 2020; 9:jcm9113527. [PMID: 33142767 PMCID: PMC7693920 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9113527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In fibromyalgia (FM) muscle metabolism, studies are sparse and conflicting associations have been found between muscle metabolism and pain aspects. This study compared alterations in metabolic substances and blood flow in erector spinae and trapezius of FM patients and healthy controls. FM patients (n = 33) and healthy controls (n = 31) underwent a clinical examination that included pressure pain thresholds and physical tests, completion of a health questionnaire, participation in microdialysis investigations of the etrapezius and erector spinae muscles, and also underwent phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the erector spinae muscle. At the baseline, FM had significantly higher levels of pyruvate in both muscles. Significantly lower concentrations of phosphocreatine (PCr) and nucleotide triphosphate (mainly adenosine triphosphate) in erector spinae were found in FM. Blood flow in erector spinae was significantly lower in FM. Significant associations between metabolic variables and pain aspects (pain intensity and pressure pain threshold PPT) were found in FM. Our results suggest that FM has mitochondrial dysfunction, although it is unclear whether inactivity, obesity, aging, and pain are causes of, the results of, or coincidental to the mitochondrial dysfunction. The significant regressions of pain intensity and PPT in FM agree with other studies reporting associations between peripheral biological factors and pain aspects.
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Automated Nociceptive Withdrawal Reflex Measurements Reveal Normal Reflex Thresholds and Augmented Pain Ratings in Patients with Fibromyalgia. J Clin Med 2020; 9:jcm9061992. [PMID: 32630430 PMCID: PMC7356211 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9061992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The nociceptive withdrawal reflex (NWR) is used to probe spinal cord excitability in chronic pain states. Here, we used an automated and unbiased procedure for determining the NWR threshold and compared the reflex thresholds and corresponding pain ratings in a well-characterized cohort of fibromyalgia (n = 29) and matched healthy controls (n = 21). Surface electrical stimuli were delivered to the foot in a stepwise incremental and decremental manner. The surface electromyographic activity was recorded from the ipsilateral tibialis anterior muscle. Fibromyalgia patients reported significantly higher scores for psychological distress and pain-related disability and a significantly lower score for perceived state of health compared to the matched controls. The subjective pain ratings were significantly higher in patients. The NWR thresholds were similar to the controls. In the patients, but not in controls, the NWR thresholds and subjective pain ratings were significantly correlated. Our results showed an increased subjective pain sensitivity in fibromyalgia, but we found no evidence for spinal sensitization based on the reflex measures.
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