Description
Background and aimFibromyalgia (FM) is the most prevalent type of widespread chronic pain disorders, affecting around 4.7% of population. Currently, the diagnosis of the disease is based on the patient's medical history and symptoms, which challenge diagnosing FM in a timely and correct manner.
The aim of this study was to identify FM-specific measurable indicators by analyzing the gut microbiome and viral infections.
Methods
The pilot-study involved a cohort of 17 patients with FM and samples from 24 healthy blood donors.
Determination of human herpesviruses (HHVs) infection markers in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC)/plasma samples was performed using multiplex and real-time polymerase chain reactions, cytokines levels - using bead-based multiplex assay. The analysis of the gut microbiome - performed by constructing a genomic library and conducting next generation sequencing.
Results
The results showed a trend of HHV-6B being more frequently found in patients with FM than in the control group. In the FM group, patients with BMI ≥ 30 had an increase in levels of cytokines compared to the control group. Analysis of the gut microbiome revealed significant differences in β-diversity between the two groups and indicated altered relative species abundance in the FM group compared to healthy controls.
Conclusions
The study hints at a possible link between HHVs and FM. Furthermore, changes in bacterial species composition in FM patients compared to healthy individuals suggest that investigating the role of the gut microbiome in the etiopathogenesis of FM could be a promising direction for future research.
| Period | 17 May 2024 → 20 May 2024 |
|---|---|
| Event title | 14th International Congress on Autoimmunity |
| Event type | Congress |
| Conference number | 14 |
| Organiser | Kenes Group |
| Location | Ljubljana, SloveniaShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |