ASSOCIATED HHV-6 VIRAL LOAD AND CHANGES IN IMMUNOLOGIC PROFILE IN FIBROMYALGIA

Objectives. Fibromyalgia (FM) is the most prevalent type of widespread chronic pain disorders, affecting around 4.7% of the population. The most common symptoms of FM are chronic widespread pain, peripheral sensitization, depression, and anxiety, which affect a person’s daily activities and are a burden to the health system. The lack of measurable biomarkers for diagnosing this disease means that it depends on physicians’ knowledge and subjective opinion. The objective of this study is to identify FM-specific measurable indicators with biomarker potential that may help to diagnose and estimate the disease, by analysing viral infections, cytokine profile, and their interactions.
Materials and Methods. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was isolated from samples using Qiagen All prep mini kit. DNA was tested for human herpesviruses (HHV) – 6A and 6B using the quantitative PCR kit “RealStar HHV-6 PCR kit 1.0”. Plasma from both healthy controls and FM patients were analysed for interferon (IFN)-􏰦, interleukin (IL)-1􏰩, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8/ chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand (CXCL)8, IL-9, IL-10, IL-17A/ cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen (CTLA)8, IL-18, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-􏰧 cytokines using Luminex technology.
Results. The obtained results show detection frequency and load (copies/106cells) of HHV-6 A and B in analysed groups of patients with FM and apparently healthy controls. In addition, differences are estimated in circulating plasma IFN-􏰦, IL-1􏰩, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8/CXCL8, IL-9, IL-10, IL-17A/CTLA8, IL- 18, TNF-􏰧 levels between FM patients and control groups.
Conclusions. Differences between the frequency/load of HHV-6 and the level of immunologic markers in FM and the control group indicate a biomarker potential in FM, which needs to be approved in a larger study.