Xu Feng, Yin Jiangwen, Xiong Erfeng, Wang Ruixue, Zhai Jinwen, Xie Liping, Li Yan, Qin Xinlei, Wang Erqiang, Zhang Qingtong, Zuo Yansong, Fan Shiwen, Wang Sheng
Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China.
School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China.
Mol Pain. 2020 Jan-Dec;16:1744806920908474. doi: 10.1177/1744806920908474.
This cross-sectional study investigated whether the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene acts as a significant regulator of pain signaling pathways, regulates β-endorphin, and contributes to ethnic differences in pain sensitivity. One-hundred-sixty healthy subjects were enrolled in this study, with Han and Uyghur groups each consisting of 80 participants. Subjects went through six pain threshold experiments. From venous blood, COMT polymorphisms were genotyped, and serum β-endorphin levels were measured. Bivariate correlation analysis and multiple linear regression were used to identify the relationships among genotypes or β-endorphin levels and different types of pain thresholds. Han and Uyghur ethnic differences were determined in terms of acute-pressure pain-perception thresholds, blunt-pressure pain-perception thresholds, blunt-pressure pain-tolerance thresholds, electric pain-tolerance thresholds, β-endorphin levels, and distributions of rs4680 and rs4633 COMT polymorphisms. β-endorphin levels did not correlate with COMT rs4680 or rs4633 genotypes in both Han and Uyghur. Statistical predictors for a lower pain-threshold performance included being young, Uyghur, female, and having a low body mass index, low β-endorphin level, and the rs4680 GA or GG allele. There is the significant difference in pain sensitivity between healthy Han and Uyghur. COMT gene variants and β-endorphin levels contribute to ethnic differences in pain sensitivity.
这项横断面研究调查了儿茶酚-O-甲基转移酶（COMT）基因是否作为疼痛信号通路的重要调节因子，调节β-内啡肽，并导致疼痛敏感性的种族差异。本研究招募了160名健康受试者，汉族和维吾尔族各80名。受试者进行了六项疼痛阈值实验。从静脉血中对COMT基因多态性进行基因分型，并测量血清β-内啡肽水平。采用双变量相关分析和多元线性回归来确定基因型或β-内啡肽水平与不同类型疼痛阈值之间的关系。从急性压力疼痛感知阈值、钝性压力疼痛感知阈值、钝性压力疼痛耐受阈值、电疼痛耐受阈值、β-内啡肽水平以及COMT基因多态性rs4680和rs4633的分布方面确定汉族和维吾尔族的种族差异。汉族和维吾尔族中，β-内啡肽水平与COMT rs4680或rs4633基因型均无相关性。较低疼痛阈值表现的统计学预测因素包括年轻、维吾尔族、女性、低体重指数、低β-内啡肽水平以及rs4680 GA或GG等位基因。健康汉族和维吾尔族之间在疼痛敏感性方面存在显著差异。COMT基因变异和β-内啡肽水平导致疼痛敏感性的种族差异。
