Altered cytokine levels in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid of chronic pain patients
Abstract
This study replicates and extends prior reports of abnormal cytokine levels in chronic pain patients and has correlated the alterations with pain severity. In addition, there appeared to be a need to directly assess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) because previous findings on cytokine concentrations in peripheral circulation have been inconsistent. CSF and blood specimens were obtained from 14 patients with distal painful non-diabetic polyneuropathy (DPPN) or post-traumatic neuralgia (PTN). Elevated receptor levels for Tumor Necrosis Factor (sTNFr) were the most distinctive abnormality along with low interleukin-10 (IL-10). sTNFr in CSF and blood, and IL-1ss in CSF, were positively associated with pain intensity, whereas IL-10 in both compartments was inversely correlated with pain symptoms. An imbalance of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines appears to be a clinically relevant feature, which may contribute to the maintenance of chronic pain.
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Chronic pain is highly comorbid with depression.
“chronic pain has also been found to be highly comorbid with depression”
From From stress to inflammation and major depressive disorder: A social signal transduction theory of depression. (2014) · cites this paper as Backonja, Coe, Muller, & Schell, 2008
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Treatment-induced diabetic neuropathy: A reversible painful autonomic neuropathy
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Aberrant microRNA expression in patients with painful peripheral neuropathies
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Experimental hypoglycemia is a human model of stress-induced hyperalgesia
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- Authors
- Backonja, M. “., Coe, C. L., Muller, D. A., & Schell, K.
- Affiliations
- University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Neuroimmunology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2008-03
- Volume
- 195
- Issue
- 1-2
- Pages
- 157-163
- ISSN
- 0165-5728 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2048655054
- Cited by
- 149
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 4.96
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Neuroimmunology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute on Aging (AG 20166, P01AG020166)
- National Institute of Mental Health (P50MH061083, MH-61083)
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (AI067518, R01AI067518)
- NIH Clinical Center
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Pain Mechanisms and Treatments
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine › Pain Management and Treatment
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
- Keywords
- chronic pain, cytokines, cerebrospinal fluid, blood, TNF receptor, soluble TNF receptors, IL-10, IL-1β, pain intensity, neuroinflammation
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Analysis of Variance, Blood Glucose, Chronic Disease, Female, Glucose, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Pain, Pain Measurement, Cytokines
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