AD3_AUT13_8,11,20,21, 25,27,29_News_Layout 1 16/09/2013 20:33 Page 29
digestnews fibromyalgia
Autumn 2013
Skin could be the source of pain
The research
Scientists have uncovered an overabundance
of sensory nerve fibres that consistently appears
in the skin of women with fibromyalgia… and
this could be responsible for the symptoms of
the debilitating condition.
A US team analysed tiny skin samples taken
from the palms of women with fibromyalgia
and found that specific sites within the blood
vessels in the skin had unusually high
amounts of sensory nerve fibres. These sites
play an important part in regulating body
temperature.
“Instead of being in the brain, the pathology
consists of excessive sensory nerve fibres
around specialised blood vessel structures
located in the palms of the hands,” explains
Dr Frank Rice who led the research. “This
discovery provides concrete evidence of a
now be used for diagnosing the disease, and as
a novel starting point for developing more
effective therapeutics.”
The implications
The findings could explain why people with
fibromyalgia tend to have particularly tender
and painful hands. And they shed light on
the widespread muscle pain experienced by
people with fibromyalgia, as much of the
blood flows through the hands or feet before
being diverted to other tissues.
Next steps...
fibromyalgia-specific pathology which can
“We can hope that this new finding will lead
to new treatments for fibromyalgia patients
who now receive little or no relief from any
medicine,” says senior pain researcher Dr
Gary Bennett.
Misdiagnosis of fibromyalgia
New test on
the horizon
A finger-stick blood sample that detects
fibromyalgia has been tested in a pilot study
with great success. Experts believe that if the
test were widely available it could potentially
knock up to five years off the wait for a
diagnosis.
Scientists programmed a highly specialised
microscope to recognise the particular
molecular pattern (in blood spot samples)
unique to people with fibromyalgia. The
equipment was able to tell the difference
between fibromyalgia and two types of
arthritis that share some of the same
symptoms.
The next step is to identify exactly which
molecules are related to development of
fibromyalgia.
“We’ve got really good evidence of a test
that could be an important aid in the
diagnosis of fibromyalgia patients,” says
senior author, Prof Tony Buffington.
“We would like this to lead to an objective
test for primary care doctors to use, which
could produce a diagnosis as much as f ?fP??V'2&Vf?&R?BW7V???67W'2?( ??%D?$?D?0??6??RV??RF?v??6VBv?F?f?'&???v????7GV???fR6????f?'&R???WW&?F????4e???6?2?Wr7GVG???V??Rv?F?f?'&???v?W?W&?V?6P?6?&???2v?FW7&VB??'WB7V6?f?0?&??&??F?W2?"6W6W2?fR??B&VV?FV?F?f?VB?4e??26???"7??F??2F??f?'&???v?'WB?26W6VB'?F?RG?6gV?7F?????BFVvV?W&F????bW&??W&?6????f?'&P??WW&??2??G26W6W2&RW7F&?6?VB?B6??P?&RG&VF&?R??6???7GVG?V&?6?VB?????26??v??F?B6??RV??Rv?F?6?&???2???&V??VB0?f?'&???v?7GV???fRV?&V6?v??6V@?4e??F?7F??7BF?6V6RF?B6?&RFW7FVBf? ??&?V7F?fV??B6??WF??W2G&VFVBFVf???F?fV???( ?V?F????r?F?W&R?2&VV???v??B?FV??&?WBv?B6W6W2f?'&???v??'WB??rvP??fRWf?FV?6Rf?"6??R'WB??B??F?V?G2?( ?6?2G"?????FW"v??6??WF??&VBF?P?7GVG??( ?f?'&???v??2F??6???W?f?"( ???P?6??Rf?G2??( ?W???F????( ???F?FW&W76?G2f? ?f?'&???v???F?FW&W76?G2&R?gFV?W6VB( 2v?F?7V66W70?( 2F?6?V?FW"f?'&???v??'WB6???7GVG??V&?6?VB??6???6?&7F?6RbW?FV????w?????V?F??V?F?7VvvW7G2F?BF?W?????@?&R???r?FW&?VffV7F?fRG&VF?V?B??F?F??b#2v??V?v?F?f?'&???v?vW&P?f????vVB?Wf?"??R?V"?6??R?bF?Rv??V??F????F?FW&W76?G2?B?F?W'2F?F?( ?B?BF?P?V?B?bF?R?V"???6?2?bVW7F?????&W0?f?V?BF?BF??6Rv??F????F?FW&W76?G0??Bv?'6RV?G??b?fR??B??&P?7??F??2?b&???"F?6?&FW"?B?B??&P?6WfW&RFW&W76?????F?R7GVG??2F??6???F?G&r??f?&?6??6?W6???2'WB&?6W2F?R???BF?BF?W&R?0???BV??Vv?&W6V&6???F?R&V??( ?F?RFWFW&??&F?????F?R???r?FW&???vV?V?B?bf?'&???v?F?V?G0?f????v??r?F?FW&W76?BG&VF?V?G27VvvW7G0??F?R?VVBf?"?Wr?B&?'W7B7GVF?W2?( ?6?0?G"?6'Fv???VBF?Rv?&???V??RF???r?F?FW&W76?G26??V?B??@?7F?v?F??WBF???rF?F?V?"u??wwr?'F?&?F?6F?vW7B?6??V???#????