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Romano A, Guglielmino V, Bisogni G, Di Paolantonio A, Truini A, Minnella AM, Sciarrone MA, Vitali F, Maceroni M, Galosi E, Sabatelli M, Luigetti M. Early detection of nerve involvement in presymptomatic TTR mutation carriers: exploring potential markers of disease onset. Neurol Sci 2024; 45:1675-1684. [PMID: 37938457 PMCID: PMC10942905 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-023-07177-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hereditary transthyretin (ATTRv) amyloidosis is a heterogeneous, progressive, multisystemic disease with a life-threatening course if left untreated. Given the current availability of effective therapies, close follow-up of presymptomatic TTR mutation carriers is essential to recognize disease onset at the earliest sign. In addition to routine techniques, in recent years several novel tools have been proposed, although a consensus on their use has not been reached yet. In this paper, we aimed to evaluate possible markers of neuropathic disease onset intended to discriminate clinically asymptomatic carriers from early symptomatic patients, thus allowing timely treatment initiation. METHODS Thirty-eight presymptomatic carriers were enrolled. Clinical and electrophysiological findings at first evaluation and follow-up were collected. All carriers underwent an extensive clinical and instrumental evaluation according to the standard clinical practice. One or more non-routine investigations, whose use in this field is not yet validated (henceforth "unconventional"), were additionally assessed in a subgroup of individuals. RESULTS Based on the exclusive use of routine investigations, it was possible to define disease onset in 4/38 carriers during the follow-up. Employing additionally one or more "unconventional" tests, abnormal findings, indicative of a possible "conversion" to symptomatic disease, were detected in further 12 cases. More than half of our study cohort showed findings suggestive of small nerve fiber (SF) involvement at either invasive or non-invasive tests. CONCLUSIONS A close, multidisciplinary monitoring of presymptomatic TTR mutation carriers is fundamental, and diagnostic workup should include both routine and "unconventional" tests. Assessment of SF involvement is important also in non-endemic countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Romano
- UOC Neurologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli, 8, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Guglielmino
- Dipartimento Di Neuroscienze, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Bisogni
- Centro Clinico NeMO Adulti, Fondazione Serena Onlus-Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Andrea Truini
- Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Angelo Maria Minnella
- Dipartimento Di Neuroscienze, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- UOC Oftalmologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Francesca Vitali
- Dipartimento Di Neuroscienze, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Martina Maceroni
- Dipartimento Di Neuroscienze, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- UOC Oftalmologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Eleonora Galosi
- Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Mario Sabatelli
- Dipartimento Di Neuroscienze, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Centro Clinico NeMO Adulti, Fondazione Serena Onlus-Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Luigetti
- UOC Neurologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli, 8, 00168, Rome, Italy.
- Dipartimento Di Neuroscienze, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
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Dias P, Tavares I, Fonseca S, Pozza DH. Outcomes of a QST Protocol in Healthy Subjects and Chronic Pain Patients: A Controlled Clinical Trial. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11041023. [PMID: 37189640 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11041023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain is an important cause of disability with a high burden to society. Quantitative sensory testing (QST) is a noninvasive multimodal method used to discriminate the function of nerve fibers. The aim of this study is to propose a new, reproducible, and less time-consuming thermal QST protocol to help characterize and monitor pain. Additionally, this study also compared QST outcomes between healthy and chronic pain subjects. Forty healthy young/adult medical students and fifty adult/elderly chronic pain patients were evaluated in individual sessions including pain history, followed by QST assessments divided into three proposed tests: pain threshold, suprathreshold, and tonic pain. In the chronic pain group, a significantly higher pain threshold (hypoesthesia) and a higher pain sensibility (hyperalgesia) were demonstrated at threshold temperature when compared to healthy participants. The sensitivity to the suprathreshold and tonic stimulus did not prove to be significantly different between both groups. The main results demonstrated that the heat threshold QST tests can be helpful in evaluating hypoesthesia and that the sensitivity threshold temperature test can demonstrate hyperalgesia in individuals with chronic pain. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the importance of using tools such as QST as a complement to detect changes in several pain dimensions.
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Tozza S, Luigetti M, Antonini G, Mazzeo A, Severi D, Di Paolantonio A, Leonardi L, Russo M, Romano A, Forcina F, Gentile L, Nolano M, Mattia C, Manganelli F. Neuropathic pain experience in symptomatic and presymptomatic subjects carrying a transthyretin gene mutation. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1109782. [PMID: 36846120 PMCID: PMC9944934 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1109782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Pain is a common symptom of hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTRv), however, its occurrence in late-onset ATTRv has not been investigated thoroughly. Our aim was to describe the pain experience and its impact on quality of life (QoL) in symptomatic patients and presymptomatic carriers harboring a transthyretin (TTR) gene mutation with a late-onset phenotype. Materials and methods Study participants (aged ≥18 years) were consecutively recruited from four Italian centers. Clinical disability was assessed using the Familial Amyloid Polyneuropathy (FAP) stage and Neuropathy Impairment Score (NIS). The Norfolk questionnaire evaluated QoL and the Compound Autonomic Dysfunction Test assessed autonomic involvement. Neuropathic pain was screened using the Douleur Neuropathique 4 (DN4) questionnaire, and pain intensity and its impact on daily activity were assessed using the Brief Pain Inventory severity and interference subscores. Data on the type of TTR mutation, presence of cardiomyopathy, treatment, and Body Mass Index (BMI) were collected. Results Overall, 102 subjects with TTR mutations (mean age ± SD 63.6 ± 13.5 years) were recruited, including 78 symptomatic patients (68.1 ± 10.9 years) and 24 presymptomatic carriers (49 ± 10.3 years). Pain was reported by 75.5% of all subjects, but was more frequent in symptomatic patients than in presymptomatic carriers (85.9 vs. 41.6%, respectively). Pain exhibited neuropathic features (DN4≥4) in 69.2% of symptomatic patients and in 8.3% of presymptomatic carriers. Subjects with neuropathic pain were older (p = 0.015) had worse FAP stage (p < 0.001), higher NIS scores (p < 0.001), greater autonomic involvement (p = 0.003), and a lower QoL (p < 0.001) than those without neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain was associated with higher pain severity (p < 0.001) and had a significant negative impact on daily activities (p < 0.001) Neuropathic pain was not associated with gender, mutation type, TTR therapy, or BMI. Conclusion Approximately 70% of late-onset ATTRv patients complained of neuropathic pain (DN4≥4) that worsened as peripheral neuropathy progressed and increasingly interfered with daily activities and QoL. Notably, 8% of presymptomatic carriers complained of neuropathic pain. These results suggest that assessment of neuropathic pain may be useful to monitor disease progression and identify early manifestations of ATTRv.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Tozza
- Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences and Odontostomatology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Luigetti
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, UOC Neurologia, Rome, Italy,Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Antonini
- Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sensory Organs (NESMOS), Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Mazzeo
- Unit of Neurology and Neuromuscular Diseases, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Daniele Severi
- Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences and Odontostomatology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy
| | - Andrea Di Paolantonio
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy,U.O. Neurologia, Fondazione Poliambulanza Istituto Ospedaliero, Brescia, Italy
| | - Luca Leonardi
- Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sensory Organs (NESMOS), Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Massimo Russo
- Unit of Neurology and Neuromuscular Diseases, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Angela Romano
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, UOC Neurologia, Rome, Italy,Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Forcina
- Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sensory Organs (NESMOS), Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Gentile
- Unit of Neurology and Neuromuscular Diseases, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Maria Nolano
- Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences and Odontostomatology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy,Neurology Department, Skin Biopsy Laboratory, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Telese Terme, Italy
| | - Consalvo Mattia
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Faculty of Pharmacy and Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy,Anesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Unit, ICOT-Polo Pontino, Latina, Italy
| | - Fiore Manganelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences and Odontostomatology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy,*Correspondence: Fiore Manganelli ✉
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