Fifty-eight offspring aged 5 to 46 years (35 males and 23 females) from 20 complete nuclear families ascertained through affected mothers with FMS were clinically evaluated for FMS according to the ACR 1990 diagnostic criteria.
The current study examined the influence of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met genotypes on salivary markers of HPA axis (cortisol), SNS (α-amylase), and immune (IgA) systems in women with FMS.
We identified, for the first time, associations of the rs841 (guanosine triphosphate cyclohydrolase 1 gene) and rs2097903 (catechol-O-methyltransferase gene) SNPs with higher risk of fibromyalgia susceptibility.
FS was determined based on the presence or absence of the 2010 ACR diagnostic criteria and all the volunteers were asked to answer the questionnaires as Fibromyalgia Impact Criteria (FIQ), Widespread Pain Index (WPI), Symptom Severity Scale (SS), Beck Depression Inventory and Visual Analog Scale (VAS).
Our results are consistent with carriers of the COMT met/met genotype showing increased sensitivity to pain as one mechanism for the role of this gene in conferring risk for FM.
According with previous research, our findings revealed that haplotypes of the COMT gene and genotypes of the Val158Met polymorphism play a key role on pain sensitivity in FM patients.
This meta-analysis identified an association between fibromyalgia risk and the COMTVal158Met polymorphism as well as the FIQ score in fibromyalgia patients.
Patient assessment consisted in verifying the presence or absence of FM using the 1990 and 2011 ACR criteria, as well as the presence of comorbidities.
We previously reported increased serum levels of the neuropeptides substance P (SP) and its structural analogue hemokinin-1 (HK-1) together with the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF in FMS patients as compared to sedentary controls.
TNF and SP levels in patients with FMS were compared between weeks 1 and 12, as well as between patients with FMS and untreated controls, using the Mann-Whitney U test.
To assess if the neuroplasticity state at baseline could predict the long-term impact of EIMS on disability due to MPS we examined the relationship between the serum brain-derived-neurotrophic-factor (BDNF) and by motor evoked potential (MEP).
Currently, fibromyalgia diagnosis is based exclusively on a comprehensive clinical assessment, according to 2016 ACR criteria, but validated biological biomarkers associated with fibromyalgia have not yet been identified.
Further, the findings advance our understanding of the role of COMT in FM, suggesting that genetic variation in the val(158)met polymorphism may affect FM pain through pathways of pain-related cognition.
Functional pain syndromes, such as fibromyalgia and temporomandibular disorder, are associated with enhanced catecholamine tone and decreased levels of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT; an enzyme that metabolizes catecholamines).
DNA was extracted from peripheral blood of 112 patients with fibromyalgia and 110 healthy individuals and was used as template in PCR for amplification of a 185-bp fragment of the COMT gene.
Low COMT activity is not associated with migrainous headache or chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions, but it may increase the risk for fibromyalgia or chronic widespread pain.
Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses of medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus showed downregulation of BDNF and p-CREB proteins in the FM group compared to the control group.
Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), widespread pain index (WPI), circulating IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α level were evaluated before and after the intervention using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.