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Fibromyalgia Research: Potential blood test for fibromyalgia

Bob

Senior Member
Messages
16,455
Location
England (south coast)
It seems that this paper has been available since April, but I haven't seen it before, and I can't see it posted on the forum.


A bloodspot-based diagnostic test for fibromyalgia syndrome and related disorders
Kevin V. Hackshaw, Luis Rodriguez-Saona, Marçal Plans, Lauren N. Bell and C. A. Tony Buffington
Analyst, 2013,138, 4453-4462
DOI: 10.1039/C3AN36615D
Received 05 Nov 2012, Accepted 03 Apr 2013
First published online 4 Apr 2013
http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2013/an/c3an36615d

Abstract:
The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of a rapid biomarker-based method for diagnosis of fibromyalgia syndrome (FM) using mid-infrared microspectroscopy (IRMS) to differentiate patients with FM from those with osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to identify molecular species associated with the spectral patterns. Under IRB approval, blood samples were collected from patients diagnosed with FM (n = 14), RA (n = 15), or OA (n = 12). Samples were prepared, placed onto a highly reflective slide, and spectra were collected using IRMS. Spectra were analyzed using multivariate statistical modeling to differentiate groups. Aliquots of samples also were subjected to metabolomic analysis. IRMS separated subjects into classes based on spectral information with no misclassifications among FM and RA or OA patients. Interclass distances of 15.4 (FM vs. RA), 14.7 (FM vs. OA) and 2.5 (RA vs. OA) among subjects, demonstrating the ability of IRMS to achieve reliable resolution of unique spectral patterns specific to FM. Metabolomic analysis revealed that RA and OA groups were metabolically similar, whereas biochemical differences were identified in the FM that were quite distinctive from those found in the other two groups. Both IRMS and metabolomic analysis identified changes in tryptophan catabolism pathway that differentiated patients with FM from those with RA or OA.
 

Bob

Senior Member
Messages
16,455
Location
England (south coast)
Ohio University Press Release:
Faster, Simpler Diagnosis for Fibromyalgia May be on the Horizon
July 2013
http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/mediar...-for-Fibromyalgia-May-be-on-the-Horizon-.aspx


Related news items.

Faster, Simpler Diagnosis for Fibromyalgia May Be On the Horizon
July 2013
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130723134255.htm

Researchers develop reliable way to use finger-stick blood sample to detect fibromyalgia syndrome
July 2013
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20...d-sample-to-detect-fibromyalgia-syndrome.aspx (Don't miss the second page, here.)

Simple Blood Test May One Day Quickly Diagnose Fibromyalgia
http://scicraze.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/simple-blood-test-may-one-day-quickly.html#.UfA1lY2sjTo
 

Bob

Senior Member
Messages
16,455
Location
England (south coast)
The scientists analyzed each sample with the infrared microspectroscopy to identify the molecular patterns associated with each disease. This functioned as a “training” phase of the study. When the researchers then entered blinded blood samples into the same machinery, each condition was accurately identified based on its molecular patterns. “It separated them completely, with no misclassifications,” Buffington said. “That’s very important. It never mistook a patient with fibromyalgia for a patient with arthritis. Clearly we need more numbers, but this showed the technique is quite effective.”

http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/mediar...-for-Fibromyalgia-May-be-on-the-Horizon-.aspx
 

Sea

Senior Member
Messages
1,286
Location
NSW Australia
Looks interesting Bob. I wonder how useful it will be for those who have both Fibro and OA (which I have and which I think is fairly common). Or Fibro and anything else really. I'm surprised they didn't look at any healthy matched controls.
 

Bob

Senior Member
Messages
16,455
Location
England (south coast)
Looks interesting Bob. I wonder how useful it will be for those who have both Fibro and OA (which I have and which I think is fairly common). Or Fibro and anything else really. I'm surprised they didn't look at any healthy matched controls.

Yes, it's a shame that they didn't include some healthy controls, but I think it was good practise to include other illnesses with similar symptoms. And it was only an initial study, so they will hopefully now carry out a larger study, with a wider range of controls. It's an interesting question about having both Fibro and OA. I imagine that individual spectroscopy patterns for both conditions would show up, overlapping. So, my guess is that if they were looking out for overlapping patterns then they should be able to identify both conditions. But I'm just guessing.
 

MeSci

ME/CFS since 1995; activity level 6?
Messages
8,231
Location
Cornwall, UK
Faster, Simpler Diagnosis for Fibromyalgia May Be On the Horizon
July 2013
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130723134255.htm

The patent referred to above can be read here:

http://www.google.com/patents/US8309931

What puzzles me is that the term 'functional syndrome' is clearly being used to refer to physical, non-psychiatric conditions in this case, yet is used to mean psychosomatic by psychoquacks, synonymously with, among other terms, functional somatic syndromes, e.g. here:

http://www.impact.arq.org/doc/kennisbank/1000010394-1.pdf
 

Bob

Senior Member
Messages
16,455
Location
England (south coast)
What puzzles me is that the term 'functional syndrome' is clearly being used to refer to physical, non-psychiatric conditions in this case, yet is used to mean psychosomatic by psychoquacks, synonymously with, among other terms, functional somatic syndromes, e.g. here:

http://www.impact.arq.org/doc/kennisbank/1000010394-1.pdf

Yes, it's quite ironic to be promoting a blood test for a 'functional syndrome'. Maybe the author is aware of the irony? It seems like they are sort of sticking two fingers up at the term 'functional syndrome'. I don't know if it's intentional or not.
 

MeSci

ME/CFS since 1995; activity level 6?
Messages
8,231
Location
Cornwall, UK
Yes, it's quite ironic to be promoting a blood test for a 'functional syndrome'. Maybe the author is aware of the irony? It seems like they are sort of sticking two fingers up at the term 'functional syndrome'. I don't know if it's intentional or not.

I have had cats with the 'functional syndrome' of interstitial cystitis. I wonder why the vet never just told the cats to pull themselves together? Maybe that's what I should do with the little lady who is my avatar, instead of giving her a supplement that she clearly isn't keen on taking. :D
 
Messages
15,786
What puzzles me is that the term 'functional syndrome' is clearly being used to refer to physical, non-psychiatric conditions in this case, yet is used to mean psychosomatic by psychoquacks, synonymously with, among other terms, functional somatic syndromes, e.g. here:
These words originally had nothing to do with psychology ... but every time patients figure out that a term means "psychosomatic nutcase" the quacks have to come up with new terminology. It's just another method of deceit, which has the unfortunate effect of creating confusion when the terms are used in their original and legitimate context.