Articles: chronic.
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The pathophysiology of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) remains elusive, leading to a lack of objective diagnostic criteria and targeted treatment. We globally evaluated immune system changes in FMS by conducting multiparametric flow cytometry analyses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and identified a natural killer (NK) cell decrease in patients with FMS. Circulating NK cells in FMS were exhausted yet activated, evidenced by lower surface expression of CD16, CD96, and CD226 and more CD107a and TIGIT. ⋯ Genetic and transcriptomic pathway analyses identified significant enrichment of cell activation pathways in FMS driven by NK cells. Skin biopsies showed increased expression of NK activation ligand, unique long 16-binding protein, on subepidermal nerves of patients FMS and the presence of NK cells near peripheral nerves. Collectively, our results suggest that chronic activation and redistribution of circulating NK cells to the peripheral nerves contribute to the immunopathology associated with FMS.
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Verbascoside, a representative phenylethanoid glycoside, is widely distributed in plants and has various activities beneficial for human health. Although systemically administered verbascoside has an antinociceptive effect, little is known about the site and mechanism of its activity. The aim of the present study was to determine whether verbascoside attenuates neuropathic pain in the spinal cord and which pain regulatory systems are involved. ⋯ Currently available treatments for neuropathic pain have limited efficacy in most patients. Some natural products have favourable biological activities for long-term administration such as antioxidative and neuroprotective effects. Verbascoside inhibits spinal nociceptive transmission without serious side effects to the same degree as gabapentin, a first-line remedy for neuropathic pain. Natural products may be promising candidates for novel treatments of neuropathic pain.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Jul 2022
Randomized Controlled TrialBuprenorphine versus dexamethasone as perineural adjuvants in femoral and adductor canal nerve blocks for total knee arthroplasty: a randomized, non-inferiority clinical trial.
Optimal control of acute postoperative pain and prevention of chronic persistent pain in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remain a challenge. ⋯ Buprenorphine is in the present trial inferior to dexamethasone by less than the established non-inferiority limit when used as perineural adjuvant in femoral nerve or adductor canal blocks in total knee arthroplasty analgesia. So, it could be considered an alternative in patients where dexamethasone is contraindicated, such as diabetics.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Observing treatment outcomes in other patients can elicit augmented placebo effects on pain treatment: a double-blinded randomized clinical trial with patients with chronic low back pain.
Clinical research on social observational learning (SoL) as an underlying mechanism for inducing expectancy and eliciting analgesic placebo effects is lacking. This double-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial investigated the influence of SoL on medication-augmenting placebo effects in 44 patients with chronic low back pain. Our hypothesis was that observing positive drug effects on pain and mobility in another patient could increase pain reduction and functional capacity. ⋯ After the intervention, pain decreased in both groups (F [1, 41] = 7.16, P < 0.05, d = 0.83), with no difference between groups. However, the SoLG showed a significantly larger decrease in perceived disability (F [1, 41] = 5, P < 0.05, d = 0.63). The direct observation of patient with chronic low back pain of positive treatment outcomes in the sham patient seems to have enhanced the treatment effects while indirect verbal reports of reduced pain did not.