Lacagnina Michael J, Heijnen Cobi J, Watkins Linda R, Grace Peter M
Laboratories of Neuroimmunology, Department of Symptom Research, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.
Pain Rep. 2021 Mar 9;6(1):e905. doi: 10.1097/PR9.0000000000000905. eCollection 2021.
Chronic pain is an unpleasant and debilitating condition that is often poorly managed by existing therapeutics. Reciprocal interactions between the nervous system and the immune system have been recognized as playing an essential role in the initiation and maintenance of pain. In this review, we discuss how neuroimmune signaling can contribute to peripheral and central sensitization and promote chronic pain through various autoimmune mechanisms. These pathogenic autoimmune mechanisms involve the production and release of autoreactive antibodies from B cells. Autoantibodies-ie, antibodies that recognize self-antigens-have been identified as potential molecules that can modulate the function of nociceptive neurons and thereby induce persistent pain. Autoantibodies can influence neuronal excitability by activating the complement pathway; by directly signaling at sensory neurons expressing Fc gamma receptors, the receptors for the Fc fragment of immunoglobulin G immune complexes; or by binding and disrupting ion channels expressed by nociceptors. Using examples primarily from rheumatoid arthritis, complex regional pain syndrome, and channelopathies from potassium channel complex autoimmunity, we suggest that autoantibody signaling at the central nervous system has therapeutic implications for designing novel disease-modifying treatments for chronic pain.
慢性疼痛是一种令人不适且使人衰弱的病症,现有治疗方法往往对其处理效果不佳。神经系统与免疫系统之间的相互作用已被认为在疼痛的起始和维持中起着至关重要的作用。在本综述中,我们讨论神经免疫信号如何通过各种自身免疫机制导致外周和中枢敏化并促进慢性疼痛。这些致病性自身免疫机制涉及B细胞产生和释放自身反应性抗体。自身抗体,即识别自身抗原的抗体,已被确定为可调节伤害性神经元功能从而诱导持续性疼痛的潜在分子。自身抗体可通过激活补体途径、在表达Fcγ受体(免疫球蛋白G免疫复合物Fc片段的受体)的感觉神经元上直接发出信号或通过结合并破坏伤害感受器表达的离子通道来影响神经元兴奋性。主要以类风湿性关节炎、复杂性区域疼痛综合征以及钾通道复合物自身免疫性疾病中的通道病为例,我们认为中枢神经系统中的自身抗体信号对于设计慢性疼痛的新型疾病修饰治疗方法具有治疗意义。