Serum paraoxonase activities, nitric oxide, and malondialdehyde levels are altered in patients with primary fibromyalgia syndrome

Abstract

Background: Fibromyalgia patients who are exposed to extreme oxidative stress may face more severe clinical features or oxidative stress may be increased by the severity of the disease.

Aim: The purpose of these investigation were to determine serum paraoxonase activities (PON-1) and nitric oxide (NO) activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) level in fibromyalgia and whether there were any associations between these enzymes activities, MDA level, and clinical parameters.

Methods: The study groups were consisted of 30 primer fibromyalgia patients and 30 healthy subjects. Clinical findings, pain severity, functional disability, general health status, anxiety, and depression assessed, and serum PON-1 activity, MDA, and NO levels were measured.

Results: The primer fibromyalgia group had significantly higher MDA, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), and decreased PON-1 activity, NO, and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) with respect to controls. The paraoxonase activity was negatively correlated with MDA, LDL-C, Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire score (FIQ score), tender point score, age, and BDI score, while positively correlated with NO and HDL-C. MDA level was positively correlated with VAS, FIQ score, tender point score, age, and negatively correlated with NO level.

Conclusion: These results suggest that FMS patients have an alteration in levels of MDA, NO, and PON-1 activities. We think that impaired oxidant/antioxidant status may affect the symptoms of the disease. Also, they may be of importance in the complex physiopathologic mechanism behind the development of FMS.

Keywords: Lipoproteins; Malondialdehyde; Nitric oxide; Paraoxonase; Primary Fibromyalgia.