title: Comparing Genomic Profiles of Women With and Without Fibromyalgia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), a chronic musculoskeletal condition characterized by diffuse pain, fatigue, sleep impairment, and cognitive dysfunction, is associated with significant functional disability. Its underlying biological mechanisms are unknown. This study investigated differentially expressed genes between women with FMS and healthy volunteers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women who met the 1990 or 2010 American College of Rheumatology fibromyalgia criteria were compared to age- and race-matched pain-free healthy women. Peripheral blood samples were collected, and a full genome microarray gene expression analysis was performed. One-way analysis of variance was used to identify differentially expressed genes using the filtering criterion of 1% false discovery rate. Analysis of canonical pathways associated with these genes was performed. Confirmatory quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay verified microarray results. Independent t-tests compared gene and protein expression between groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants were 54 women with FMS and 25 controls. Expression arrays from a subset of women with FMS (n = 29) and controls (n = 20) showed upregulation of 12 genes (>1.8-fold change, p < .05) in the FMS sample. Differentially expressed genes were related to B-cell development, primary immunodeficiency signaling, and mitotic roles of polo-like kinase. CENPK and HSP90AA1 were the most differentially expressed genes (p < .01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Activity of interrelated pathways related to immune response, and homeostasis appears to be relevant to the experience of FMS. Replication and exploration of the relationship between gene expression and symptom severity will help determine clinical relevance of these findings.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USA National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Nada
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lukkahatai
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA Section of Rheumatology, Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Walitt
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Espina
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA saliganl@mail.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Leorey N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Saligan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D023281:Genomics; D006801:Humans; D010147:Pain Measurement; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
keywords: fatigue; fibromyalgia; genomic profile; pain