OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there is a difference in the concentration of nerve growth factor (NGF) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients diagnosed with primary fibromyalgia syndrome (FM), fibromyalgia associated with other secondary conditions (SFM), patients with other painful conditions but lacking fibromyalgia (OTHER), and healthy controls. METHODS: The clinical measures of pain threshold included the tender point index, a measure of pain threshold intensity measured by digital pressure, and the average pain threshold measured by dolorimetry. Concentrations of NGF in the CSF were measured using a 2 site enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: The mean (+/- SEM) concentration of NGF measured in patients with FM was significantly increased (41.8 +/- 12.7 pg/ml) compared to controls (9.1 +/- 4.1 pg/ml), but with large variability. Concentrations of NGF is SFM (8.9 +/- 4.4 pg/ml) and OTHER (16.2 +/- 8.4 pg/ml) were not elevated compared to controls. CONCLUSION: The findings of increased concentrations of NGF in patients with FM suggest a central mechanism, involving abnormalities in neuropeptides such as NGF, may be a factor in the pathogenesis of FM.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there is a difference in the concentration of nerve growth factor (NGF) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients diagnosed with primary fibromyalgia syndrome (FM), fibromyalgia associated with other secondary conditions (SFM), patients with other painful conditions but lacking fibromyalgia (OTHER), and healthy controls. METHODS: The clinical measures of pain threshold included the tender point index, a measure of pain threshold intensity measured by digital pressure, and the average pain threshold measured by dolorimetry. Concentrations of NGF in the CSF were measured using a 2 site enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: The mean (+/- SEM) concentration of NGF measured in patients with FM was significantly increased (41.8 +/- 12.7 pg/ml) compared to controls (9.1 +/- 4.1 pg/ml), but with large variability. Concentrations of NGF is SFM (8.9 +/- 4.4 pg/ml) and OTHER (16.2 +/- 8.4 pg/ml) were not elevated compared to controls. CONCLUSION: The findings of increased concentrations of NGF in patients with FM suggest a central mechanism, involving abnormalities in neuropeptides such as NGF, may be a factor in the pathogenesis of FM.
Authors: Dan S Heffez; Ruth E Ross; Yvonne Shade-Zeldow; Konstantinos Kostas; Sagar Shah; Robert Gottschalk; Dean A Elias; Alan Shepard; Sue E Leurgans; Charity G Moore Journal: Eur Spine J Date: 2004-04-09 Impact factor: 3.134
Authors: Helle Andersen; Lars Arendt-Nielsen; Peter Svensson; Bente Danneskiold-Samsøe; Thomas Graven-Nielsen Journal: Exp Brain Res Date: 2008-09-24 Impact factor: 1.972