Comparison of the serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) between fibromyalgia and nociceptive pain groups; and effect of duloxetine on the BDNF level

BACKGROUND: The primary objective was to compare the serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) level in the patients with two types of pain: fibromyalgia (FM) and non-FM nociceptive pain (non-FM NP). The secondary objective was to investigate the effect of duloxetine on serum BDNF in FM patients and assess the direction of BDNF changes’ relation to clinical parameters’ alterations. Methods: This is a study on 73 patients (50 FM and 23 non-FM chronic non-inflammatory pain patients). Serum BDNF was first compared between both groups. Patients with FM, then prospectively, underwent standardized FM treatment with duloxetine maximized to 60 mg/day. The Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR), Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12), pain visualized analog scale (pain VAS), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), polysymptomatic distress scale (PSD) and serum BDNF were measured and compared at baseline and 4 weeks after treatment in FM group. RESULTS: The mean of adjusted BDNF level in the FM group had no significant difference than the non-FM NP group ((5293.5 ± 2676.3 vs. 6136.3 ± 4037.6; P value = 0.77). Using linear mixed model, we showed that duloxetine reduced BDNF level significantly in FM patients, even after adjusting for depression, pain and severity of the disease (P < 0.01). The FIQR, BDI-II, PSD, and pain VAS improved significantly after duloxetine treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Non-significant BDNF level difference between FM and non-FM nociceptive pain suggested that peripheral BDNF is not a pathophysiological feature of FM. The decreased BDNF level parallel with improvement of PSD/pain scores after duloxetine treatment indicates BDNF alteration in the pain modulation process, regardless of cause and effect.