Neurosci Lett 2000 Mar 24;282(3):193-196

Neuroimmune relations in patients with fibromyalgia: a positron emission
tomography study.

Lekander M, Fredrikson M, Wik G

Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Psychology Section, Karolinska Institute
and Hospital Z6, S-171 76, Stockholm, Sweden

[Record supplied by publisher]

To study relations between neural and immune activity in patients with chronic
pain, we correlated regional cerebral blood flow measured with [(15)O]butanol
positron emission tomography to immune function in five patients with
fibromyalgia. Partly replicating previous data in healthy volunteers, natural
killer cell activity correlated negatively with right hemisphere activity in the
secondary somatosensory and motor cortices as well as the thalamus. Moreover,
natural killer cell activity was negatively and bilaterally related to activity
in the posterior cingulate cortex. Thus, immune parameters were related to
activity in brain areas involved in pain perception, emotion, and attention.
Implicated from a small study population, these strong neuro-immune associations
are discussed in view of recent findings concerning mechanisms and adaptive
values in immuno-cortical communication and regulation.

PMID: 10717424