Authors: Carvalho, L. S. C.¹; Correa, H.²; Silva, G. C.²; Campos, F. S.¹; Baião, F. R.³; Ribeiro, L. S.⁴; Faria, A. M.⁵; d'Avila Reis, D.¹

Source: Clinical & Experimental Immunology, Volume 154, Number 3, December 2008 , pp. 346-352(7)

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Abstract:

Summary

There is common agreement that fibromyalgia (FM) is an extremely heterogeneous entity. Patients differ in their clinical symptoms, endocrine and immune parameters. In this study we evaluated endocrine and immunological features of distinct subsets of FM patients. In contrast to previous attempts to identify subsets of FM patients, based solely on their psychological and cognitive features, herein we propose to separate FM patients by genetic features. Allelic expression of the polymorphic promoter region of the serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) was analysed as a relevant genetic factor for FM. Seventy-five patients meeting the American College of Rheumatology criteria and 27 healthy age-matched controls participated in this study. All controls and FM patients were submitted to genotyping of 5-HTTLPR. Twenty-seven FM patients, who were able to discontinue hypnotic, sedative or psychotropic prescription medications for at least 2 weeks, were then subdivided into L (homozygote LL) or S groups (genotypes LS and SS). They were evaluated for salivary cortisol levels, absolute number of leucocyte subpopulations, including natural killer (NK) cells and activated T and B lymphocytes. Both groups presented decreased cortisol levels, more intense in the L group, increased all B lymphocytes subsets and reduced CD4⁺CD25^high T lymphocytes. The L group had increased CD4⁺CD25^low activated T lymphocytes, while the S group displayed elevated CD4⁺human leucocyte antigen D-related (HLA-DR)⁺ activated T lymphocytes and decreased NK cells. We demonstrate that genetic factors may help to identify FM individuals with differentially altered frequencies of immune cells.

Keywords: fibromyalgia; genetic; 5-HTTLPR; lymphocytes; salivary cortisol

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2249.2008.03787.x

Affiliations: 1: Departments of Morphology, 2: Psychiatry and 3: Baleia Hospital, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, and 4: Governador Israel Pinheiro Hospital, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil 5: Biochemistry and Immunology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil,

Publication date: 2008-12-01

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• In this Subject: Microbiology ,  Allergy & Immunology
• By this author: Carvalho, L. S. C. ;  Correa, H. ;  Silva, G. C. ;  Campos, F. S. ;  Baião, F. R. ;  Ribeiro, L. S. ;  Faria, A. M. ;  d'Avila Reis, D.

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