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MicroRNAs as biomarkers of pain intensity in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (Al Rawaf, 2019)

Murph

:)
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1,799
Pain Pract. 2019 Jul 8. doi: 10.1111/papr.12817. [Epub ahead of print]
MicroRNAs as biomarkers of pain intensity in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.
Al-Rawaf HA1,2, Alghadir AH1, Gabr SA1.
Author information
1 Rehabilitation Research Chair, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, KSA.
2 Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, KSA.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:
Numerous experimental models have shown that microRNAs play an important role in regulating pain-processing in clinical pain disorders. In this study, we evaluated a set of micro-RNAs as diagnostic biomarkers of pain intensity in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). We then correlated the expression of these microRNAs with the levels of inflammatory markers and pain-related comorbidities in adolescents with CSF and healthy controls (HCs).

METHODS:
A total of 150 adolescents, aged 12-18 years, participated in this study between April 2016 and April 2017. The participants were classified into two groups: adolescents with CFS (n=100) and HCs (n=50). RT-PCR was used to evaluate the expression of miR-558, miR-146a, miR-150, miR-124, and miR-143. Immunoassay analysis was used to assess the levels of immune inflammatory markers IL-6, TNF-α, and COX-2.

RESULTS:
Adolescents with CFS showed significantly higher pain thresholds than comparable non-fatigued HCs. Also, enjoy of life and relation to others as the life domains, showed lower pain interference in CFS patients. Differential expression of miR-558, miR-146a, miR-150, miR-124, and miR-143 was significantly down regulated and notably interfered with pain intensity and frequency in patients with CFS.

Also, the expression of these miRNAs was significantly correlated with that of IL-6, TNF-α, and COX-2, which have been shown to mediate pain intensity in patients with CFS. Girls with CSF showed significantly decreased expression levels of these miRNAs compared with the levels of boys with CSF. Girls with CSF also showed increased expression of inflammatory pain-related markers IL-6, TNF-α, and COX-2, compared with the levels of boys with CSF

CONCLUSIONS: The intensity and consequences of pain were influenced by differential expression of miR-558, miR-146a, miR-150, miR-124, and miR-143, which was directly, associated with higher expression of immune inflammatory related genes TNFα, IL-6, and COX-2 in adolescences with CFS. Further studies of larger patient cohorts will help clarify the role of miRNAs in the pathogenesis of CFS.

KEYWORDS:
Adolescence; Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS); MicroRNAs; Pain intensity; inflammatory markers
PMID: 31282597 DOI: 10.1111/papr.12817
 

Murph

:)
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1,799
I have no idea what this article is saying. But it's exciting to see new researchers on the scene! Never expected Saudi Arabia to come to the party.
 

ljimbo423

Senior Member
Messages
4,705
Location
United States, New Hampshire
CONCLUSIONS: The intensity and consequences of pain were influenced by differential expression of miR-558, miR-146a, miR-150, miR-124, and miR-143, which was directly, associated with higher expression of immune inflammatory related genes TNFα, IL-6, and COX-2 in adolescences with CFS. Further studies of larger patient cohorts will help clarify the role of miRNAs in the pathogenesis of CFS.

I'm pretty sure I have a high innate immunity. Which is the pro-inflammatory arm of the immune system.

It's also the arm of the immune system that fights off colds and flus. I haven't had a cold or a flu in many, many years.

Also when I take herbs that boost my innate immunity, which raises TNF-a, IL-6, etc, I get flu-like flares but they never last more than a day, so they are not colds or flus.

Good to see this kind of research!

EDIT-I also have a lot of pain with my CFS.
 

anni66

mum to ME daughter
Messages
563
Location
scotland
How did they test pain thresholds ( as opposed to pain tolerance)
Is this not normally a physical pinprick type test?
If no objective test then it suffers from the usual bias and difficulties of pain comparison over time.

If this is self report questionnaire, how do you adjust for pain " acclimitisation" .
What was very painful 6 months ago is ' normal background" now .