Fibromylagia Patient Characterization via Questionnaires, Circulatory Marker Detection and Gut Microbiome Sequencing

Purpose: To evaluate markers of inflammation, gut permeability, human herpesvirus infection, and gut microbiome composition in patients with fibromyalgia (FM). The dataset contains questionnaire data covering symptom frequency and several fibromyalgia-related assessment scales. These include the Symptom Severity Scale (SSS) and Widespread Pain Index (WPI) under PMID: 20461783, the Visual Analogue Fatigue Scale (VAFS) under PMID: 21813054, the Douleur Neuropathique en 4 questions (DN4) under PMID: 15733628, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) under PMID: 16717171, and the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) under PMID: 2803071. The dataset also includes comprehensive laboratory analyses of blood biomarkers in fibromyalgia patients and healthy controls. The dataset contains information on 30 fibromyalgia patients, including age, sex, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), daily medication use, family history of disease, presence and viral load of human herpesviruses 1–7 in DNA extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), presence of HHV-6-specific IgM and IgG antibodies in plasma, and levels of six cytokines, immunoglobulin subclasses, autoantibodies, anandamide, gut permeability markers (occludin, zonulin, and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein [LBP]), and adipokines in plasma samples. Fifteen of the 30 fibromyalgia patients participated in an 8-week Abdominally Targeted Physical Activity programme, while the remaining fifteen did not. Blood and gut microbiome samples from fibromyalgia patients were collected and analysed at baseline and after the 8-week follow-up period. Three gut permeability markers - zonulin, occludin, and LBP - were quantified using commercially available ELISA kits (Human Zonulin ELISA Kit and Human Occludin ELISA Kit from AssayGenie, and Enzyme Immunoassay for Quantification of Free Human LBP from ChromaTec, respectively). Immunoglobulin isotypes (IgM, IgA, and IgG) and IgG subclasses (IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4) were determined using a multiplex bead-based assay (MILLIPLEX Human Immunoglobulin Isotyping Panel, Merck KGaA). Adipokines (leptin, adiponectin, and resistin) were measured using a multiplex bead-based assay (MILLIPLEX Human Adipocyte Magnetic Bead Panel, Merck KGaA). Three adrenergic and muscarinic receptor autoantibodies - β2-adrenergic receptor, M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor, and M4 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antibodies - were measured using commercially available ELISA kits (CellTrend). Six cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-18, and TNF-α) were quantified using a multiplex bead-based assay (MILLIPLEX Human Cytokine/Chemokine/Growth Factor Panel A, Merck KGaA), while soluble CD14 (sCD14) and soluble CD27 (sCD27) were measured using commercially available ELISA kits (Bio-Ocean LLC and BlueGene Biotech, respectively). Anandamide (AEA), an endogenous cannabinoid, was quantified using a commercially available ELISA kit (Human AEA ELISA Kit, ELK Biotechnology Co., Ltd). All ELISA measurements were performed using a VarioSkan Lux microplate reader, and concentrations were calculated using SkanIt RE 7.0 software. Multiplex bead-based assays were analysed using a Luminex 200 instrument, and concentrations were calculated using xPONENT software. Two separate healthy control cohorts were included in the study: one serving as a control group for circulating biomarker analyses and the other for gut microbiome analyses. The dataset contains information on 32 healthy controls, including age, sex, BMI, presence and/or viral load of HHV1-7, presence of HHV-6-specific antibodies, and plasma levels of circulating biomarkers. In addition, the dataset includes European Nucleotide Archive (ENA) accession information for gut microbiome sequencing data from both fibromyalgia patients and healthy controls.