[Observation of plasma levels of beta-endorphin in patients with trigeminal neuralgia].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the relationship between plasma levels of beta-endorphin and trigeminal neuralgia.


METHODS
During the attacks of trigeminal neuralgia, beta-endorphin levels of plasma from external jugular, cubital fossa vein blood ipsilateral to the pain and contralateral external jugular vein blood were assessed by sensitive radioimmunoassay in 12 cases, after operations the venous blood from the ipsilateral external jugular vein was sampled again, the external jugular vein blood of 12 normal volunteers was collected as control.


RESULTS
The plasma levels of beta-endorphin in patients with trigeminal neuralgia were significantly lower than that in normal volunteers (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The lowered plasma beta-endorphin levels may be an important factor for the development of pain in patients with trigeminal neuralgia, which may result in pain and neurogenic inflammation that can not be controlled in central nervous system and peripheral nerve terminals.
Department of Stomatology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China.
Y F
YF
Zhao
X Z
XZ
Jiang
S H
SH
Hu
Y
Y
Liu
L
L
Miao
C Y
CY
Song