AI Article Synopsis

  • Fibromyalgia (FM) is a complex condition characterized by chronic pain and fatigue, with unknown causes, affecting many individuals, particularly women.
  • A study was conducted comparing serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in women with FM to healthy controls, along with their skin and core body temperatures.
  • The findings indicated a mild positive correlation between VEGF levels and skin temperature in certain areas of the hands in FM patients, but no definitive conclusions on the relationship between VEGF and vasodilation were reached.

Article Abstract

Background: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a long-term condition of unknown physiopathology, whose hallmark symptoms are diffuse musculoskeletal chronic pain and fatigue.

Objectives: We aimed to analyze the associations among serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) levels with the peripheral temperature of the skin of both hands and the core body temperature in patients with FM and healthy controls.

Methods: We conducted a case-control observational study with fifty-three women diagnosed with FM and twenty-four healthy women. VEGF and CGRP levels were spectrophotometrically analyzed in serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We used an infrared thermography camera to assess the peripheral temperature of the skin of the dorsal thumb, index, middle, ring, and pinkie fingertips and dorsal centre as well as the palm thumb, index, middle, ring, and pinkie fingertips, palm centre and thenar and hypothenar eminences of both hands and an infrared thermographic scanner to record the tympanic membrane and axillary temperature.

Results: Linear regression analysis adjusting for age, menopause status, and body mass index showed that serum VEGF levels were positively associated with the maximum (β = 65.942, 95% CI [4.100,127.784], p = 0.037), minimum (β = 59.216, 95% CI [1.455,116.976], p = 0.045), and mean (β = 66.923, 95% CI [3.142,130.705], p = 0.040) temperature of the thenar eminence of the non-dominant hand, as well as with the maximum temperature of the hypothenar eminence of the non-dominant hand (β = 63.607, 95% CI [3.468,123.747], p = 0.039) in women diagnosed with FM.

Conclusions: Mild associations were observed between serum VEGF levels and the peripheral temperature of the skin in hand areas in patients with FM; therefore, it is not possible to establish a clear relationship between this vasoactive molecule and vasodilation of the hands in these patients.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103469DOI Listing

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