title: Can Wound Exudate from Venous Leg Ulcers Measure Wound Pain Status?: A Pilot Study.
abstract: We investigated the associations between the self-evaluated pain status and two pain biomarker candidates, nerve growth factor and S100A8/A9, in exudate from venous leg ulcer to finally develop an objective pain evaluation method. Patients with venous leg ulcer participated in this cross-sectional observational study conducted between April and October 2014 at two medical facilities. During routine wound care, each participant self-evaluated their pain status at each examination using the 10-point numerical rating scale (present pain intensity) and the short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire 2 (continuous pain, intermittent pain, neuropathic pain, affective descriptors, and total score). Venous leg ulcer exudate sample was collected after wound cleansing. The nerve growth factor and S100A8/A9 concentrations in the venous leg ulcer exudate were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and standardized according to the wound area. The association between each pain status and the two standardized protein concentrations was evaluated using Spearman's correlation coefficient. In 30 sample collected from 13 participants, the standardized nerve growth factor concentration was negatively correlated with continuous pain (ρ = -0.47, P = 0.01), intermittent pain (ρ = -0.48, P = 0.01), neuropathic pain (ρ = -0.51, P = 0.01), and total score (ρ = -0.46, P = 0.01). The standardized S100A8/A9 concentration was positively correlated with present pain intensity (ρ = 0.46, P = 0.03) and continuous pain (ρ = 0.48, P = 0.03). Thus, these two proteins may be useful for objective evaluation of wound pain in venous leg ulcer patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gerontological Nursing/Wound Care Management, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.|Global Leadership Initiative for an Age-Friendly Society, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.|Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Taichi
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7140-8175
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.affiliation: Department of Gerontological Nursing/Wound Care Management, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Nao
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tamai
authors.affiliation: Department of Gerontological Nursing/Wound Care Management, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Gojiro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nakagami
authors.affiliation: Department of Gerontological Nursing/Wound Care Management, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.|Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Aya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kitamura
authors.affiliation: Department of Gerontological Nursing/Wound Care Management, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.|Fujisawa City Hospital, Fujisawa-city, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Ayumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Naito
authors.affiliation: Ochanomizu Vascular & Vein Clinic, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirokawa
authors.affiliation: Ochanomizu Vascular & Vein Clinic, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Chisako
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shimokawa
authors.affiliation: Fujisawa City Hospital, Fujisawa-city, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Fujisawa City Hospital, Fujisawa-city, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Junichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Umemoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Gerontological Nursing/Wound Care Management, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sanada
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D040501:Calgranulin A / Q000378:metabolism; D040502:Calgranulin B / Q000378:metabolism; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005122:Exudates and Transudates / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D010146:Pain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014647:Varicose Ulcer / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D014945:Wound Healing; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D040501:Calgranulin A; D040502:Calgranulin B; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor