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Fibromyalgia patients had increased levels of IL-17A
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Women with fibromyalgia had increased plasma levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-17A compared with healthy age-matched controls, according to study results.
Researchers in Brazil studied 58 women with fibromyalgia (FM; mean age, 49.7 years; BMI, 26.3 kg/m2) and 39 age- and BMI-matched healthy controls. A cytometric bead array cytokine kit was used to measure plasma levels of interleukin (IL)-17A and other pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. A Mann-Whitney test and Spearman's correlation were used to analyze differences between the cohorts.
The patients with FM had significantly higher levels of IL-17A compared with the controls. Plasma concentrations of IL-17A had significant positive correlations with IL-2 (P=.012), tumor necrosis factor (P=.003), IFN-gamma (P=.037), IL-4 (P=.037) and IL-10 (P=.002).
“As far as we are aware, this is the first study to demonstrate increased levels of IL-17A in [FM] patients,” the researchers concluded. "The data from correlation analyses between the levels of IL-17A and levels of other cytokines strengthens the hypothesis that point to the involvement of inflammatory mechanisms in development of this syndrome.
“Within this perspective, future studies could be performed to clarify the effects of specific anti-inflammatory therapies of IL-17A in the quality of life and in symptoms presented by FM patients.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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