Adipocytokines: Emerging therapeutic targets for pain management

Molecular Assessment of Plasma Concentrations of Selected Adipokines and IL-8 in Horses with Back Pain and Comorbid Asthma-Based on Clinical Cases

Similarly, in humans and horses, thoracic and lumbosacral back pain cause more disability and work interruptions worldwide than any other disease. Given that there are few effective treatments for back pain in humans and animals, primary prevention strategies and a reduction in pain factors may be crucial. In the analysed data obtained for the horses studied, the pattern of changes in adipocytokine concentrations, including resistin, visfatin and leptin, was noted for those with back pain compared to the control animals. Concentrations of selected adipocytokines in horses from the back pain group were different in animals with a coexisting diagnosis of asthma and back dysfunction. Very few studies are available on adipokine concentrations in horses. No information was found in relation to back pain and asthma in these animals. In humans, correlations of back pain and asthma with concentrations of selected adipokines have been described.

Association of serum biomarkers with radiographic knee osteoarthritis, knee pain and function in a young, male, trauma-exposed population - Findings from the ADVANCE study

OBJECTIVE

The ArmeD SerVices TrAuma RehabilitatioN OutComE (ADVANCE) study is investigating long-term combat-injury outcomes; this sub-study aims to understand the association of osteoarthritis (OA) biomarkers with knee radiographic OA (rOA), pain and function in this high-risk population for post-traumatic OA.

DESIGN

ADVANCE compares combat-injured participants with age, rank, deployment and job-role frequency-matched uninjured participants. Post-injury immunoassay-measured serum biomarkers, knee radiographs, Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scale, and six-minute walk tests are reported. The primary analysis, adjusted for age, body mass, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity, was to determine any differences in biomarkers between those with/without combat injury, rOA and pain. Secondary analyses were performed to compare post-traumatic/idiopathic OA, painful/painfree rOA and injury patterns.

RESULTS

A total of 1145 male participants were recruited, aged 34.1 ± 5.4, 8.9 ± 2.2 years post-injury (n = 579 trauma-exposed, of which, traumatic-amputation n = 161) or deployment (n = 566 matched). Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) was significantly higher in the combat-injured group compared to uninjured (p = 0.01). Notably, COMP was significantly lower in the traumatic-amputation group compared to non-amputees (p < 0.001), decreasing relative to number of amputations (p < 0.001). Leptin was higher (p = 0.005) and adiponectin lower (p = 0.017) in those with v without knee pain, associated with an increased risk of 22% and 17% for pain, and 46% and 34% for painful rOA, respectively. There were no significant differences between trauma-exposed and unexposed participants with rOA.

CONCLUSIONS

The most notable findings of this large, unique study are the similarities between those with rOA regardless of trauma-exposure, the injury-pattern and traumatic-amputation-associated differences in COMP, and the relationship between adipokines and pain.

The sex-dependent impact of adipose tissue and inflammation on chronic pain - A cross-sectional study from the all of us research program

Emerging evidence suggests an association between chronic pain and elevated body fat. We sought to determine if individuals with higher body fat, measured by hip circumference (HC) and waist circumference (WC), are at risk for chronic pain when they demonstrate higher expression of inflammatory markers. We investigated the incidence and severity of pain in patients with varying WC/HC and inflammatory markers (C-Reactive Protein, IL-6, leptin) using the NIH-sponsored All of Us Database. For each inflammatory marker and sex, participants were divided into four groups based on combinations of normal/high marker levels and small/large WC/HC. We used statistical analysis to compare WC/HC and pain severity (mean NRS pain score) between groups of the same sex. In females, but not males, combinations of elevated CRP with large WC/HC exerted additive effects on the incidence of chronic pain (p < 0.01) and severe pain (p < 0.001), as well as on the severity of pain evaluated by the mean NRS pain score (p < 0.01). This relationship held true for females with high IL-6 or leptin and large WC or HC (p < 0.001 for chronic pain and severe pain incidence, and p < 0.05 for pain severity). Neither IL-6 nor leptin showed any significant impact on pain in males. Obesity status and CRP exert additive prognostic effects for chronic pain in females, but not in males. The concomitant evaluation of other inflammatory factors, such as IL-6 or leptin in females, may further augment the prediction of chronic pain. PERSPECTIVE: This article investigates the relationship between chronic pain, obesity, and inflammatory markers. It could help elucidating sex difference in pain mechanisms, as well as the risk factors for chronic pain, potentially improving patient diagnosis, follow-up and treatment.

The Role of Selected Adipocytokines in Ovarian Cancer and Endometrial Cancer

Due to their multidirectional influence, adipocytokines are currently the subject of numerous intensive studies. Significant impact applies to many processes, both physiological and pathological. Moreover, the role of adipocytokines in carcinogenesis seems particularly interesting and not fully understood. For this reason, ongoing research focuses on the role of these compounds in the network of interactions in the tumor microenvironment. Particular attention should be drawn to cancers that remain challenging for modern gynecological oncology-ovarian and endometrial cancer. This paper presents the role of selected adipocytokines, including leptin, adiponectin, visfatin, resistin, apelin, chemerin, omentin and vaspin in cancer, with a particular focus on ovarian and endometrial cancer, and their potential clinical relevance.