TY - JOUR
T1 - Nitric oxide and pro-inflammatory cytokines correlate with pain intensity in chronic pain patients
AU - Koch, A.
AU - Zacharowski, K.
AU - Boehm, O.
AU - Stevens, M.
AU - Lipfert, P.
AU - Von Giesen, H. J.
AU - Wolf, A.
AU - Freynhagen, R.
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgments. We wish to thank Dr. Peter Busche and Lilijana Stahnke for technical assistance. This work was supported by a grant from the Forschungskommission, University of Dusseldorf and the DFG (Za-243/8-1&Za-243/8-2).
PY - 2007/1
Y1 - 2007/1
N2 - Objective: Inflammatory cytokines as well as nitric oxide (NO) play a key role in the pathogenesis of persistent and exaggerated pain states. To document this, we investigated whether a range of cytokines and NO were detectable in the plasma of chronic pain patients and whether cytokine and NO levels correlated with pain severity. Methods: Plasma samples of 94 chronic pain patients and 6 healthy volunteers were obtained. Average pain intensity during the last 24h was assessed on a 11-point numeric rating scale and patients were distributed to three groups: light, moderate and severe pain. The concentrations of TNF-α, GM-CSF, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, interferon (IFN)-γ, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10 and nitrate/nitrite were determined. Results: Patients with light pain demonstrated significantly increased levels of IL-6 compared to controls. In the severe pain group IL-6 and nitrate/nitrite were significantly increased. Serum concentrations of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-2 and IL-4 were increased but as we adjusted the level of significance at p = 0.0045, most cytokine plasma levels failed to reach statistical significance. Conclusions: Pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IFN-γ, TNF-α) in the plasma correlate with increasing pain intensity. Chronic pain patients show a significant increase in plasma levels of NO in comparison to healthy controls.
AB - Objective: Inflammatory cytokines as well as nitric oxide (NO) play a key role in the pathogenesis of persistent and exaggerated pain states. To document this, we investigated whether a range of cytokines and NO were detectable in the plasma of chronic pain patients and whether cytokine and NO levels correlated with pain severity. Methods: Plasma samples of 94 chronic pain patients and 6 healthy volunteers were obtained. Average pain intensity during the last 24h was assessed on a 11-point numeric rating scale and patients were distributed to three groups: light, moderate and severe pain. The concentrations of TNF-α, GM-CSF, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, interferon (IFN)-γ, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10 and nitrate/nitrite were determined. Results: Patients with light pain demonstrated significantly increased levels of IL-6 compared to controls. In the severe pain group IL-6 and nitrate/nitrite were significantly increased. Serum concentrations of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-2 and IL-4 were increased but as we adjusted the level of significance at p = 0.0045, most cytokine plasma levels failed to reach statistical significance. Conclusions: Pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IFN-γ, TNF-α) in the plasma correlate with increasing pain intensity. Chronic pain patients show a significant increase in plasma levels of NO in comparison to healthy controls.
KW - Chronic pain
KW - Cytokines
KW - Nitric oxide (NO)
KW - Pain intensity
KW - Plasma concentrations
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33847629731&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00011-007-6088-4
DO - 10.1007/s00011-007-6088-4
M3 - Article
C2 - 17334668
AN - SCOPUS:33847629731
SN - 1023-3830
VL - 56
SP - 32
EP - 37
JO - Inflammation Research
JF - Inflammation Research
IS - 1
ER -