Short summary

The aim of this biobank, containing blood and CSF from patients with chronic pain and healthy volunteers, is to contribute to a greater understanding of pathological factors involved in chronic pain and identify possible biomarkers.

Rationale

The cause of most chronic pain conditions is unclear. The consequence is that diagnostics and treatment is often unsatisfactory. Recent evidence suggests that many chronic pain conditions are part of the same "Central Sensitivity Syndrome" caused by neuroinflammatory activation in the spinal cord, causing central hypersensitivity and pain. The purpose of the project is to examine for neuroinflammatory biomarkers in the Cerebrospinal Fluid and blood, to identify a possible central neurinflammatory process as part of the causality for chronic pain.

Description of the cohort

The biobank includes blod and cerebral spinal fluid from: 200 consecutive patients from a multidisciplinary pain center with cronic complex pain syndromes 81 patients with chronic pain localized to the hip or knee, caused by osteoarthritis. 70 pain free volunteers.

Data and biological material

Samples from cerebrospinal fluid and blood, demographic data, questionnaire data on pain, functional level, sleep disturbance, anxiety and depression. Quantitative sensory tests have been conducted on group 1 (200 patients from a multidisciplinary pain center) and group 3 (healthy volunteers).

Collaborating researchers and departments

Pain Research Group, Pain Center, Odense University Hospital

• Postdoc, PhD Henrik B. Vaegter
• MD, PhD Laila Bendix
• Professor, MD, PhD Palle Toft

Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark

• Professor, PhD, M.Sc Kate Lykke Lambertsen

Department of Business and Economics, University of Southern Denmark

• Professor, Cand Scient. Oecon, PhD Jørgen T. Lauridsen

Department of Anaesthesia, Lillebaelt Hospital, University Hospital of Southern Denmark

• Associate Professor, Cand Scient San., PhD Hanne I. Jensen

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Lillebaelt Hospital, University Hospital of Southern Denmark

• MD, PhD Claus Varnum
• MD, PhD Lasse E. Rasmussen

Publications associated with the project

Mortensen WCP, Bendix L, Jensen HI, Varnum C, Rasmussen LE, Lauridsen JT, Borbye-Lorenzen N, Skogstrand K, Toft P, Vaegter HB, Blichfeldt-Eckhardt MR. The effect of pre-analytical handling on the stability of fractalkine, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP1), interleukin 6 and interleukin 8 in samples of human cerebrospinal fluid. J Immunol Methods. 2021 Jul;494:113057. doi: 10.1016/j.jim.2021.113057. Epub 2021 Apr 18. PMID: 33878334.