Pain-related Differential Expression of NGF, GDNF, IL-6, and Their Receptors in Human Vasculitic Neuropathies

• Published in: Internal Medicine Vol. 42; no. 11; pp. 1100 - 1103
• Main Authors: YAMAMOTO, Masahiko, ITO, Yasuhiro, MITSUMA, Norimasa, HATTORI, Naoki, SOBUE, Gen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine 01-11-2003; Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Churg-Strauss Syndrome - complications; Churg-Strauss Syndrome - metabolism; Female; Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptors; Humans; Interleukin-6 - genetics; Interleukin-6 - metabolism; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; nerve growth factor; Nerve Growth Factor - genetics; Nerve Growth Factor - metabolism; Nerve Growth Factors - genetics; Nerve Growth Factors - metabolism; Neuralgia - etiology; Neuralgia - metabolism; Neurology; pain; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases - metabolism; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases - physiopathology; Polyarteritis Nodosa - complications; Polyarteritis Nodosa - metabolism; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - metabolism; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases - metabolism; receptors; Receptors, Interleukin-6 - metabolism; Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor - metabolism; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Sural Nerve - physiopathology; Up-Regulation; Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system; vasculitic neuropathy; Human; Nervous system diseases; Statistical analysis; receptors; Cytokine; Cardiovascular disease; Exploration; Nerve growth factor; Neuropathy; Gene expression; Vascular disease; glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor; Pain; Vasculitis; Polypeptide; Glial cell line derived neurotrophic factor; vasculitic neuropathy; Growth factor; Biological receptor
• ISSN: 0918-2918; 1349-7235
• DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.42.1100

Objective Pain-related differential expressions of nerve growth factor (NGF), glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and their receptors were investigated in human vasculitic neuropathies. Materials and Methods The mRNA levels of painrelated neurotrophic factors, NGF, GDNF and IL-6, were examined in the sural nerves of 22 painful and non-painful patients with acute necrotizing vasculitic neuropathies, together with their concomitant soluble receptors (p75, GFRα-1 and IL-6Rα). Results The mRNAs for these factors and receptors in the lesioned nerves were up-regulated to a variable extent in both groups. NGF mRNA expression was more closely correlated with that of p75 in painful neuropathy with relatively preserved large fiber density, compared with non-painful neuropathy, though the NGF mRNA level in painful neuropathy was lower than that in non-painful neuropathy. GDNF was closely associated with GFRα-1 in mRNA levels regardless of the pain state, but IL-6 was not associated with IL-6Rα. Conclusion The differential expression of neurotrophic factors and their cognate soluble receptors in human vasculitic neuropathy suggests that NGF, which was effectively transferred to sensory axons with p75, may induce pain. (Internal Medicine 42: 1100-1103, 2003)