title: Chronic persistent post-surgical pain following staging laparotomy for carcinoma of ovary and its relationship to signal transduction genes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study was undertaken to evaluate the incidence of chronic persistent post-surgical pain (CPPP) and the role of signal transduction genes in patients undergoing staging laparotomy for carcinoma ovary.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present observational study was undertaken following institutional ethical committee approval and informed consent from all the participants. A total 21 patients of ASA grade I to III with age 20-70 years, scheduled for elective staging laparotomy for carcinoma ovary were included. Patients were excluded if had other causes of pain, cognitive dysfunction or chronic neurological disorders. Statistical analysis of pool data was done using SPSS version-17. For various scales like GPE, PDQ, NPSI, the visual analogue scale (VAS), global perceived effect (GPE), the pain DETECT questionnaire (PDQ), and neuropathic pain symptoms inventory (NPSI), one factor repaeted measure ANOVA applied with simple contrast with baseline as on post-operative day 1 (considered as reference and compared with subsequent time-interval), and thePvalues were adjusted according to "Bonferroni adjustments". In patients with CPPP, the Δct values of mRNA expressions of genes at the end of postoperative day 90 were compared with the baseline control values by one factor repeated ANOVA.Pvalue < 0.005 significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The present study demonstrates 38.1% (8 out of 21 patients) incidence of CPPP. The functional status and quality of life as were observed to be significantly diminished in all patients with chronic pain. An up-regulation in the mRNA expression of signal transduction and a positive correlation was noted between the mRNA expression of signal transduction genes and VAS score in all patients with CPPP at the end of postoperative day 90.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The reported incidence of CPPP in patients with carcinoma ovary was 38.1%. An up-regulation and positive correlation between mRNA expression of signal transduction genes and VAS score depicts its potential role in the pathogenesis of CPPP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, University College of Medical Sciences and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Shahdara, Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Ashok Kumar
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Saxena
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, University College of Medical Sciences and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Shahdara, Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Geetanjali T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Chilkoti
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, University College of Medical Sciences and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Shahdara, Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Anand K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Chopra
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University College of Medical Sciences and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Shahdara, Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Basu Dev
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University College of Medical Sciences and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Shahdara, Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Tusha
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sharma
keywords: Carcinoma ovary; Chronic pain; ERK; Neuropathic pain; PKA; PKC