title: Plasma cytokine fluctuations over time in healthy controls and patients with fibromyalgia.
abstract: We examined the pattern of cytokine secretion across the 24-hr day for women with widespread pain and tenderness having the diagnosis of fibromyalgia (FM) and matched healthy controls. Subjects were given time to habituate to being in a clinical research laboratory environment and then were sampled for cytokines without their being disturbed for a 24-hr period including an 8-hr sleep period. Cytokine levels were uniformly low but characterized by bursts of secretion. Bursting occurred either in singlets or in doublets with a range from 88 to 131 mins between doublet bursts. There was an element of synchronization of these bursts with most occurring at the beginning of sampling. FM patients showed a shift to increased IL-10 in the nighttime compared to controls. The relation between this anti-inflammatory cytokine to the pro-inflammatory cytokines studied also differed between groups: FM patients showed an increased ratio of IL-10 burst amplitude to that of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1beta, IL-8, and TNF-alpha. We interpret this to indicate a skew away from the normal balance favoring pro-inflammatory cytokines in controls toward one favoring an anti-inflammatory response in FM. These changes toward anti-inflammatory predominance in FM may explain their common complaint of disturbed sleep because these cytokines are known to disrupt sleep.
authors.affiliation: Pain & Fatigue Study Center, Department of Neurosciences, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, 1618 ADMC, 30 Bergen Street, Newark, NJ 07103, USA.
authors.forename: Fumiharu
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Togo
authors.forename: Benjamin H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Natelson
authors.forename: Gail K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Adler
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Ottenweller
authors.forename: Don L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Goldenberg
authors.forename: Zbigniew R
authors.initials: ZR
authors.lastname: Struzik
authors.forename: Yoshiharu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D012890:Sleep; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D018836:Inflammation Mediators