Fibromyalgia Literature Review

Abstract

It has been shown that pathophysiology of fibromyalgia syndrome [FMS] involves disturbed neuroendocrine function, including impaired function of the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor-1 axis. Recently, micro ribonueclic acids [RNAs] have been detected to be important regulatory factors in a number of diseases. The aim of this study was to try to identify cerebrospinal microRNAs with expression specific for FMS and to determine their correlation to pain and fatigue. The genome-wide profile of microRNAs in cerebrospinal fluid was assessed in 10 women with FMS and eight healthy controls using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Pain thresholds were examined by algometry. Levels of pain [FIQ pain] were rated on a 0–100 mm scale [Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire [FIQ]]. Levels of fatigue [FIQ fatigue] were rated on a 0–100 mm scale using the FIQ and by the multidimensional fatigue inventory [MFI-20] general fatigue [MFIGF]. Expression levels of nine microRNAs were significantly lower in patients with FMS patients [n1⁄4 10] compared with healthy controls [n1⁄4 8]. The microRNAs identified were miR-21-5p, miR-145-5p, miR-29 a-3p, miR-99b-5p, miR-125b5p, miR-23 a-3p, 23b-3p, miR-195-5p, and miR223-3p. The identified microRNAs with significantly lower expression in FMS were assessed with regard to pain and fatigue. miR-145-5p correlated positively with FIQ pain [r1⁄4 0.709, p1⁄4 0.022, n1⁄4 10] and with FIQ fatigue [r1⁄4 0.687, p1⁄4 0.028, n1⁄4 10]. This study highlights a disease-specific pattern of cerebrospinal microRNAs in 10 FMS patients as compared with eight healthy controls. One of the identified microRNAs, miR-145, was associated with the cardinal symptoms of FMS, pain, and fatigue. This very interesting finding needs confirmation in studies with larger cohorts.