Soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1: a potential biomarker for pain intensity in chronic pain patients. (March 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Luchting, Benjamin; Hinske, Ludwig Christian Giuseppe; Rachinger-Adam, Banafscheh; Celi, Leo Anthony; Kreth, Simone; Azad, Shahnaz Christina
• Is Part Of: Biomarkers in medicine. Volume 11:Number 3(2017)
• Page Start: 265
• Page End: 276
• Publication Date: 2017-03
• Subjects: biomarker -- chronic pain -- cytokines -- inflammation -- pain assessment -- pain intensity -- pain management -- predictive modeling -- sICAM-1; Biochemical markers -- Periodicals; 610.28
• DOI: 10.2217/bmm-2016-0246
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1752-0363

Abstract

Aim: Pain therapy is strongly guided by patients' self-reporting. However, when self-reporting is not an option, pain assessment becomes a challenge and may lead to undertreatment of painful conditions. Pain is a complex and multifactorial phenomenon. Recent work has connected pain pathophysiology also with the inflammatory system. We therefore hypothesized that pain intensity could be predicted by cytokine-levels.Patients & methods: In this observational, single-center study, we investigated 30 serum cytokines to predict pain intensity in a screening/follow-up set of 95 chronic pain patients and controls. We then prospectively validated soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1)'s discriminatory capability (n = 21).Results & conclusion: sICAM-1 was significantly associated with patient-reported pain intensity and yielded differential serum levels in patients of varying degrees of pain intensity. Changes in pain ratings over time correlated with changes in sICAM-1 levels. Our findings suggest the possibility of a clinical use of sICAM-1 as a potential biomarker for pain intensity.