Assessing the Impact of IL-6 and Serotonin on Pain and Symptomatology in Fibromyalgia: An Exploratory Clinical Study
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Design
2.2. IL-6 and Serotonin Measures
2.3. Statistics Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Characteristics of HCs and FMS Patients
3.2. Levels of the IL-6 and Serotonin in Healthy Controls and FMS Patients
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Factor | Description |
---|---|
Biological Factors | Hormonal differences between men and women, such as estrogen levels, may influence pain perception and sensitivity to pain, potentially contributing to the development or exacerbation of fibromyalgia symptoms [6]. |
Genetic Predisposition | Genetic factors may predispose women more than men to developing fibromyalgia. Familial aggregation of fibromyalgia suggests there is a genetic component to this disorder [7]. |
Psychological and Social Factors | Women may experience different stressors, coping mechanisms, and societal pressures compared to men, which could contribute to the onset or exacerbation of fibromyalgia symptoms. Psychological factors like stress, anxiety, and depression can influence pain perception and increase the risk of developing fibromyalgia [8]. |
Healthcare-Seeking Behavior | Women tend to seek healthcare more frequently than men, potentially leading to higher rates of diagnosis. Fibromyalgia can be challenging to diagnose due to its subjective symptoms, and healthcare-seeking behavior may influence the likelihood of receiving a diagnosis [9]. |
Socioeconomic Factors | Socioeconomic factors, including access to healthcare and socioeconomic status, may also play a role in the prevalence of fibromyalgia. Women’s health disparities and socioeconomic factors could contribute to differences in prevalence rates [10]. |
Section 1: | Physical Functioning |
---|---|
1. Ability to do chores: How much does fibromyalgia affect your ability to do chores such as vacuuming, yard work, or laundry? | |
2. Fatigue: How difficult has fatigue made it for you to perform everyday tasks? | |
3. Sleep quality: How often has poor sleep affected your ability to do everyday tasks? | |
4. Physical function: How much does fibromyalgia affect your ability to perform physical activities such as walking, climbing stairs, or lifting objects? | |
5. Pain intensity: How severe is your pain on average over the last week? | |
6. Muscle strength: How much has fibromyalgia affected your muscle strength? | |
7. Balance: How much has fibromyalgia affected your balance? | |
Section 2: | Overall Impact |
8. Pain interference: How much does pain interfere with your daily life? | |
9. Stiffness: How much does stiffness interfere with your daily activities? | |
10. Depression: How often have you felt depressed because of your fibromyalgia symptoms? | |
11. Anxiety: How often have you felt anxious because of your fibromyalgia symptoms? | |
12. Memory problems: How often have you had difficulty remembering things because of your fibromyalgia symptoms? | |
Section 3: | Symptom |
13. Headaches: How often have you had headaches because of your fibromyalgia symptoms? | |
14. Pain: How often have you had pain or tenderness all over your body because of your fibromyalgia symptoms? | |
15. Tenderness: How often have you had pain or tenderness in your lower abdomen because of your fibromyalgia symptoms? | |
16. Balance problems: How often have you felt dizzy or had problems with balance because of your fibromyalgia symptoms? | |
17. Sensitivity to noise: How often have you felt bothered by noise because of your fibromyalgia symptoms? | |
18. Sensitivity to light: How often have you felt bothered by bright lights because of your fibromyalgia symptoms? | |
19. Sensitivity to odors: How often have you felt bothered by strong odors because of your fibromyalgia symptoms? | |
20. Muscle weakness: How often have you felt that your muscles were too weak to do the things you wanted to do because of your fibromyalgia symptoms? | |
21. Feeling of restlessness: How often have you had a sense of restlessness because of your fibromyalgia symptoms? | |
Scoring: | Interpretation: |
Each question is rated on a scale from 0 to 100 represents no impact and 10 represents maximum impact. The total score is the sum of all 21 responses, with a maximum possible score of 210. Higher scores indicate a greater impact of fibromyalgia on the individual’s life. | |
|
Characteristics | Healthy Controls | Fibromyalgia Syndrome |
---|---|---|
Gender (% female) | 100% | 100% |
Age (years) | 29.43 ± 6.4 | 38.85 ± 10.48 |
HADS-A | 3.94 ± 1.7 | 13.54 ± 2.5 *** |
HADS-D | 1.5 ± 1.4 | 10.31 ± 3.4 *** |
Pain severity (VAS #) | 0.71 ± 0.82 | 6.85 ± 1.91 ** |
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© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Loçasso, F.A.; Filho, H.A.; Alvarenga, R.M.P.; Schimidt, S.L.; Fiorelli, F.K.; Ramos, P.d.S.; Leidersnaider, S.C.L.; Blum, K.; Lewandrowski, K.-U.; Cunha-Junior, E.F.; et al. Assessing the Impact of IL-6 and Serotonin on Pain and Symptomatology in Fibromyalgia: An Exploratory Clinical Study. J. Pers. Med. 2024, 14, 886. https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm14080886
Loçasso FA, Filho HA, Alvarenga RMP, Schimidt SL, Fiorelli FK, Ramos PdS, Leidersnaider SCL, Blum K, Lewandrowski K-U, Cunha-Junior EF, et al. Assessing the Impact of IL-6 and Serotonin on Pain and Symptomatology in Fibromyalgia: An Exploratory Clinical Study. Journal of Personalized Medicine. 2024; 14(8):886. https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm14080886
Chicago/Turabian StyleLoçasso, Felipe Altino, Hélcio Alvarenga Filho, Regina Maria Papais Alvarenga, Sérgio Luís Schimidt, Filipe Kleinman Fiorelli, Plínio dos Santos Ramos, Sônia Cristina Leal Leidersnaider, Kenneth Blum, Kai-Uwe Lewandrowski, Edezio Ferreira Cunha-Junior, and et al. 2024. "Assessing the Impact of IL-6 and Serotonin on Pain and Symptomatology in Fibromyalgia: An Exploratory Clinical Study" Journal of Personalized Medicine 14, no. 8: 886. https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm14080886