The Study of Blood Biomarkers in the Pathogenesis of Fibromyalgia: A Case-Control Study

Abstract

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic musculoskeletal syndrome characterized by pain and fatigue; however, its etiology remains unknown, and various hypotheses and biomarkers have been proposed. This study it is aimed to investigate blood biomarkers in the pathogenesis of FM. The current case-control study has been conducted on 45 females with the documented diagnosis of FM and 45 healthy controls referring to the outpatient clinic of rheumatology in 2018-19. The serum levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEAS), erythrocytic sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), complete blood count (CBC), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) was measured and compared between the groups. DHEAS serum levels in cases and controls were 27.55±18.80 and 33.55±21.80, (P=0.16), ESR was 29.17±9.75 and 17.37±2.82 (P<0.001), CRP was 4.17±1.53 and 3.53±1.15 (P=0.02), TSH was 3.307±0.27 and 3.41±0.22 (P=0.09), respectively. The two groups were similar in CBC indices, including hemoglobin, hematocrit, white blood cell, lymphocyte, neutrophil, and platelet count (P>0.05). DHEAS was slightly, but insignificantly, lower among the females with FM than healthy cases. On the other hand, the serum ESR and CRP levels were remarkably higher among the females with FM; however, in the normal range, a fact representing the possible traces of inflammation in the pathogenesis of FM.