Arterial stiffness and proinflammatory cytokines in fibromyalgia syndrome

• Published in: Clinical and experimental rheumatology Vol. 28; no. 6 Suppl 63; pp. S71 - S77
• Main Authors: Kim, S-K, Kim, K S, Lee, Y S, Park, S-H, Choe, J-Y
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Italy 01.11.2010
• Subjects: Adult; Arteries - physiopathology; Blood Flow Velocity - physiology; Blood Pressure - physiology; Case-Control Studies; Cytokines - blood; Elasticity - physiology; Female; Fibromyalgia - blood; Fibromyalgia - physiopathology; Humans; Interleukin-1beta - blood; Interleukin-6 - blood; Interleukin-8 - blood; Middle Aged; Nitric Oxide - blood; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - blood
• ISSN: 0392-856X

We assessed arterial stiffness and inflammatory cytokine profiles in fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) patients and analysed the association between them. Twenty-seven FMS patients and 29 age-matched premenopausal healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Arterial stiffness was assessed by pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AIx) from pulse waveform analysis. Levels of serum interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-8, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and a colorimetric assay was used for measurement of serum nitric oxide (NO) metabolites (nitrate and nitrite, NOx) level. Statistical analyses included the Mann-Whitney U-test and Spearman's correlation coefficient analysis. Higher AIx and AIx@HR75 (aortic AIx at a heart rate of 75 beats/min) were noted in FMS compared to those in the controls after adjustment using covariants (p(adj)=0.023 and p(adj)<0.001). However, there were no differences between the three regional PWVs of the two groups at the aorta-femoral, femoral-dorsalis, and aorta-radialis arteries (p(adj)>0.05 for all). FMS subjects had significantly higher serum IL-8 levels than did the healthy controls (327.9±588.7 vs. 76.4±90.5, p(adj)=0.041). However, there were no significant differences in serum IL-1β, IL-6, VEGF, or NOx levels between the FMS patients and the controls (p(adj)>0.05 of all). Serum IL-8 level did not correlate with PWV and AIx in FMS patients. This study demonstrates higher AIx and IL-8 levels in FMS subjects compared to those of the controls. However, arterial stiffness including AIx in FMS was not determined by the serum IL-8 level.