Lysophosphatidylcholine 16:0, a Promising Biomarker for Severe Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a complex disease without any clear physiopathology, thus treating FM remains challenging for physicians. In this article Hung et al. propose a new mouse model of FM in which adult mice are exposed to repeated and intermittent sound stress (RISS). These stressors are shown to have an effect at the cellular level: leucocytes generate a high amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which triggers plasma lipid peroxidation and an excessive production of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) 16:0. LPC16:0 molecules then activate acid-sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3) on muscle nociceptors, generating a central sensitization process responsible for the development of FM-like phenotypes (hyperalgesia, chronic fatigue, and anxiety). In the second part, a clinical investigation was performed on patients suffering from mild and severe FM. During the month preceding the study, FM patients perceived more daily stressors than healthy controls (HC). In severe FM patients, LPC16:0 levels are correlated with ongoing pain severity. This study suggests that LPC16:0 could be a biomarker for FM, particularly in its severe forms, and proposes to further investigate the effects of platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) inhibitors such as darapladib on fibromyalgia. These molecules could prove to be interesting therapeutic compounds for the treatment of severe FM.