Preprint : Mitochondrial function in patients affected with fibromyalgia syndrome is impaired and correlates with disease severity

[humanbean]

Since fibromyalgia often crops up as a diagnosis on the forum I thought this might be of interest to members.

Abstract only :

researchsquare.com/article/...

For a PDF version (the full paper) :

assets-eu.researchsquare.co...

Since it is a preprint it might be edited/changed in future.

Abstract

Fibromyalgia is a musculoskeletal syndrome characterized by chronic widespread pain that is often associated with systemic manifestations. Since mitochondria are the main source of cellular energy, we hypothesized that fibromyalgia syndrome could be linked to mitochondrial impairment. Aim was to study mitochondrial dysfunction in peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from 50 patients with primary fibromyalgia syndrome and 10 apparently healthy controls. Although no differences in mitochondrial basal respiration were observed between patients with primary fibromyalgia syndrome and healthy controls, a lower median bioenergetic health index (BHI; -22.4%, p = 0.03), a proxy of mitochondrial function, was found in patients. According to fibromyalgia severity score (FSS), a composite of widespread pain index and symptom severity scale, a lower median BHI (-18.7%) was found in patients with a FS ≥ 20 compared to those with a FSS < 20. Negative moderate correlations were found only between BHI and FSS (r= -0.36) and widespread pain index (r= -0.38). We demonstrated that patients with fibromyalgia syndrome had an impaired mitochondrial function. Additionally, we found a mild correlation between the widespread pain index and the BHI, possibly indicating that the altered mitochondrial function, in these patients, narrows musculoskeletal rather than central nervous system involvement.

[Sparklingsunshine]

Its thought mitochondrial dysfunction lies at the heart of CFS/ME as well, a similar condition in many ways to Fibro. As Dr Sarah Myhill, a CFS expert, once said is mitochondria not hypochondria.

I have Fibro allegedly and periodically read up on new research, theories etc. There's just been a big study co conducted by the Universities of Liverpool, Kings College London and the Karolinska Institute have shown that fibro could be down to a dysfunction of the pain sensing nerves in the body caused by antibodies. So in effect an autoimmune disease.

Studies in mice showed that injecting the antibodies into the mice replicated Fibro symptoms such as decreased grip strength and sensitvity to temperature. Conversely mice that were injected with antibodies from healthy people showed no such problems.

Furthermore once the antibodies had cleared from the affectected mice after a few weeks they recovered. Meaning therapies which target the immune system could play a big role in helping treat Fibro.

In seperate research Queen Mary University showed neutrophils are causing a dysfunctional immune response in patients with chronic pain including Fibromyalgia. Both studies have concluded that its a dysregulated immune response causing symptoms.

Purely anecdotally whenever I have been prescribed a course of Prednisone for a chest infection or asthma flare I have felt amazing. Which leads me to wonder if there is something in it. As Pred is a steroid that suppresses the immune system.