Plasma pro-inflammatory markers in chronic neuropathic pain: A multivariate, comparative, cross-sectional pilot study

Background: Caused by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory system, neuropathic pain is notoriously difficult to treat with conventional analgesics. It has been suggested that inflammatory cytokines play a role in the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain. But human studies of these substances are relatively few and partly contradictory. Objectives: To simultaneously investigate the plasma levels of chemokine interleukin 8 (IL-8) and the cytokines IL-6, IL-1 β, and Granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in patients with peripheral neuropathic pain (most of whom due to failed back surgery syndrome) (n = 14) compared to controls (n = 17). Results: IL-6 was significantly higher in patients than in controls (0.92 ± 0.12 pg/ml vs. 0.57 ± 0.08 pg/ml, p = 0.012). IL-1 ß, IL-8, and GM-CSF levels did not differ between the two groups. A multivariate analysis showed a tendency for patients also to have higher GM-CSF plasma levels than controls. Conclusions: This study found an increased level of IL-6 in plasma in patients with neuropathic pain, but not for the other pro-inflammatory substances investigated. There are several possible confounders not registered or controlled for in this and other studies of neuropathic pain. Implications: Larger studies that take several possible confounders into consideration are needed to further investigate the levels of plasma cytokines in different pain conditions.

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Plasma pro-inflammatory markers in chronic neuropathic pain: A multivariate, comparative, cross-sectional pilot study ; volume:10 ; number:1 ; year:2016 ; pages:1-5 ; extent:5 ; Scandinavian journal of pain ; 10, Heft 1 (2016), 1-5 (gesamt 5)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Bäckryd, Emmanuel ; Ghafouri, Bijar ; Larsson, Britt ; Gerdle, Björn

Further information

• DOI: 10.1016/j.sjpain.2015.06.006
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2024022713442112691831
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 14.08.2025, 10:59 AM CEST