Inflammatory biomarkers in serum in subjects with and without work related neck/shoulder complaints

Abstract

BackgroundAlthough it has recently been recognised that inflammation is important in the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), the exact pathophysiological pathways are unknown.MethodsWe investigated serum concentrations of inflammatory cytokines in 35 female supermarket cashiers with repetitive work tasks and work related neck/shoulder complaints, compared with those from 25 women without MSDs (6 supermarket cashiers and 19 middle-school teachers or faculty staff). None of the subjects were pregnant or lactating, and showed no signs of rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, cancer, diabetes, coronary artery disease or inadequately controlled hypertension. Serum levels of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, MCP-1, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, TNF-α, GM-CSF, CTGF and CRP were analysed.ResultsThe women with pain related to MSD had higher serum concentrations of MIP-1β (median, 25th-75th percentile: 90.0 pg/mL, 62.5-110 vs. 73.1 pg/mL, 54.6-88.3; p = 0.018), IL-12 (0.26 pg/mL, 0.26-0.26 vs. 0.26 pg/mL, 0.26-0.26; p = 0.047) and CRP (0.5 mg/L, 0.5-1.6 vs. 0.5 mg/L, 0.5-0.5; p = 0.003), than control subjects. Levels of MIP-1α, MIP-1β and CRP were correlated with the reported intensity of neck/shoulder pain (r = 0.29, p = 0.03 for MIP-1α; r = 0.29, p = 0.02 for MIP-1β and r = 0.43, p = 0.001 for CRP). No statistically significant differences in serum levels were found for the remaining cytokines.ConclusionsOtherwise healthy females with ongoing work-related neck/shoulder pain showed higher serum concentrations of MIP-1β, IL-12 and CRP than controls, and the levels of MIP-1α, MIP-1β and CRP were correlated to pain intensity. These results support previous findings that inflammatory processes play a part in work related MSDs.

Systemic inflammatory markers in neck pain: A systematic review with meta‐analysis

“…Six were cross‐sectional in design, three were longitudinal and one was a randomized controlled trial. Three studies provided data for acute WAD (Kivioja, Ozenci, et al, 2001; Kivioja, Rinaldi, et al, 2001; Sterling et al., 2013), two for chronic WAD (Sterling et al., 2013; Sterling, Head, Cabot, & Farrell, 2016), four for chronic NTNP (Jacobsson, Lindgarde, Manthorpe, & Akesson, 1992; Matute Wilander et al., 2014; Teodorczyk‐Injeyan et al., 2011; Teodorczyk‐Injeyan, Triano, McGregor, Woodhouse, & Injeyan, 2015), one for chronic mixed cervicogenic headache (comprising both WAD and NTNP) (Martelletti, Stirparo, & Giacovazzo, 1999), and for one study no details were provided regarding clinical history or pain duration (Haddad, 2015). We attempted to contact the author of the latter study to seek further details on the demographic and clinical characteristics of their sample; however, received no reply.…”

“…There is evidence of raised inflammatory markers in the blood of patients with musculoskeletal pain including low back pain (LBP) (van den Berg et al., 2018), neck pain (Sterling, Elliott, & Cabot, 2013; Teodorczyk‐Injeyan, Triano, McGregor, Woodhouse, & Injeyan, 2011) and work‐related upper quadrant pain (Barbe & Barr, 2006; Matute Wilander, Kåredal, Axmon, & Nordander, 2014). In whiplash‐associated disorder (WAD), raised cytokines (interleukin [IL]‐6 and IL‐10) and acute‐phase protein C‐reactive protein (CRP) have been observed in the early acute injury stage (Kivioja, Ozenci, et al, 2001), and raised CRP persisted in patients who developed chronic pain (Sterling et al., 2013).…”

“…In whiplash‐associated disorder (WAD), raised cytokines (interleukin [IL]‐6 and IL‐10) and acute‐phase protein C‐reactive protein (CRP) have been observed in the early acute injury stage (Kivioja, Ozenci, et al, 2001), and raised CRP persisted in patients who developed chronic pain (Sterling et al., 2013). Increased CRP and raised macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)‐1β and IL‐12 have also been found in people with chronic (median 6 years) work‐related neck and shoulder pain (Matute Wilander et al., 2014).…”

Signs of ongoing inflammation in female patients with chronic widespread pain

“…[47–49] Cytokines can be divided into proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and many different cytokines have been investigated in FMS (Rodiguez-Pinto et al). [25] Increased serum levels of IL-6 and IL-8 have been reported in several studies of FMS.…”

Salmon-derived thrombin inhibits development of chronic pain through an endothelial barrier protective mechanism dependent on APC

“…However, serum concentrations of IL-7 in patients with cancer-related pain increase within 3 hours of an analgesic opioid treatment (57). Serum levels of IL-12 are also elevated in women with work-related musculoskeletal pain (58). In contrast, administration of IL-12 subcutaneously reduces mechanical allodynia and hyperalgesia for up to 4 hours when given after a painful chronic constriction to the sciatic nerve (56).…”