Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
PLoS One. 2010 Oct 26;5(10):e13641. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0013641.
Research suggests that the COMT Val(158)Met, BDNF Val(66)Met and OPRM1 A(118)G polymorphisms moderate the experience of pain. In order to obtain experimental confirmation and extension of findings, cortical processing of experimentally-induced pain was used.
A sample of 78 individuals with chronic low back pain complaints and 37 healthy controls underwent EEG registration. Event-Related Potentials were measured in response to electrical nociceptive stimuli and moderation by COMT Val(158)Met, BDNF Val(66)Met and OPRM1 A(118)G polymorphisms was assessed.
Genetic variation did not have a direct effect on cortical processing of experimental pain. However, genetic effects (COMT Val(158)Met and BDNF Val(66)Met) on experimental pain were moderated by the presence of chronic pain. In the presence of chronic pain, the COMT Met allele and the BDNF Met allele augmented cortical pain processing, whilst reducing pain processing in pain-free controls. No significant effects were found concerning the OPRM1 A(118)G polymorphism.
The current study suggests that chronic experience of pain enhances genetic sensitivity to experimentally induced mildly painful stimuli, possibly through a process of epigenetic modification.
研究表明，COMT Val(158)Met、BDNF Val(66)Met 和 OPRM1 A(118)G 多态性调节疼痛的体验。为了获得实验结果的证实和扩展，使用实验性诱导疼痛的皮质处理。
一组 78 名慢性腰痛患者和 37 名健康对照者接受了 EEG 记录。用电刺激诱发疼痛时测量事件相关电位，并评估 COMT Val(158)Met、BDNF Val(66)Met 和 OPRM1 A(118)G 多态性的调节作用。
遗传变异对实验性疼痛的皮质处理没有直接影响。然而，遗传效应（COMT Val(158)Met 和 BDNF Val(66)Met）被慢性疼痛所调节。在慢性疼痛的情况下，COMT Met 等位基因和 BDNF Met 等位基因增强了皮质疼痛处理，而在无痛对照中则降低了疼痛处理。关于 OPRM1 A(118)G 多态性未发现显著影响。
本研究表明，慢性疼痛体验增强了对实验性轻度疼痛刺激的遗传敏感性，可能通过表观遗传修饰的过程。
