title: Arterial stiffness and proinflammatory cytokines in fibromyalgia syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We assessed arterial stiffness and inflammatory cytokine profiles in fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) patients and analysed the association between them.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-seven FMS patients and 29 age-matched premenopausal healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Arterial stiffness was assessed by pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AIx) from pulse waveform analysis. Levels of serum interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-8, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and a colorimetric assay was used for measurement of serum nitric oxide (NO) metabolites (nitrate and nitrite, NOx) level. Statistical analyses included the Mann-Whitney U-test and Spearman's correlation coefficient analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher AIx and AIx@HR75 (aortic AIx at a heart rate of 75 beats/min) were noted in FMS compared to those in the controls after adjustment using covariants (p(adj)=0.023 and p(adj)<0.001). However, there were no differences between the three regional PWVs of the two groups at the aorta-femoral, femoral-dorsalis, and aorta-radialis arteries (p(adj)>0.05 for all). FMS subjects had significantly higher serum IL-8 levels than did the healthy controls (327.9±588.7 vs. 76.4±90.5, p(adj)=0.041). However, there were no significant differences in serum IL-1β, IL-6, VEGF, or NOx levels between the FMS patients and the controls (p(adj)>0.05 of all). Serum IL-8 level did not correlate with PWV and AIx in FMS patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates higher AIx and IL-8 levels in FMS subjects compared to those of the controls. However, arterial stiffness including AIx in FMS was not determined by the serum IL-8 level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Arthritis and Autoimmunity Research Centre, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: S-K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: S-H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: J-Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Choe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001158:Arteries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D004548:Elasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D009569:Nitric Oxide