title: Correlation of Nav1.8 and Nav1.9 sodium channel expression with neuropathic pain in human subjects with lingual nerve neuromas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Voltage-gated sodium channels Nav1.8 and Nav1.9 are expressed preferentially in small diameter sensory neurons, and are thought to play a role in the generation of ectopic activity in neuronal cell bodies and/or their axons following peripheral nerve injury. The expression of Nav1.8 and Nav1.9 has been quantified in human lingual nerves that have been previously injured inadvertently during lower third molar removal, and any correlation between the expression of these ion channels and the presence or absence of dysaesthesia investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Immunohistochemical processing and quantitative image analysis revealed that Nav1.8 and Nav1.9 were expressed in human lingual nerve neuromas from patients with or without symptoms of dysaesthesia. The level of Nav1.8 expression was significantly higher in patients reporting pain compared with no pain, and a significant positive correlation was observed between levels of Nav1.8 expression and VAS scores for the symptom of tingling. No significant differences were recorded in the level of expression of Nav1.9 between patients with or without pain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate that Nav1.8 and Nav1.9 are present in human lingual nerve neuromas, with significant correlations between the level of expression of Nav1.8 and symptoms of pain. These data provide further evidence that changes in expression of Nav1.8 are important in the development and/or maintenance of nerve injury-induced pain, and suggest that Nav1.8 may be a potential therapeutic target.
authors.affiliation: Academic Unit of Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine and Surgery, School of Clinical Dentistry, University of Sheffield, Claremont Crescent, Sheffield S10 2TA, UK. e.v.bird@sheffield.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Emma V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Bird
authors.forename: Claire R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Christmas
authors.forename: Alison R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Loescher
authors.forename: Keith G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Peter P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Joel A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: Stephen G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Waxman
authors.forename: Fiona M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Boissonade
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008036:Lingual Nerve / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D062559:NAV1.8 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel / Q000378:metabolism*; D062558:NAV1.9 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel / Q000378:metabolism; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000378:metabolism*; D009463:Neuroma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D062559:NAV1.8 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel; D062558:NAV1.9 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel; C491886:SCN11A protein, human