SynthesisRheumatology (Oxford, England)2021
Is fibromyalgia associated with a unique cytokine profile? A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Rheumatology (Oxford, England), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 89 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Determination of the Effect of Fermented Grape Juice Consumption on Oxidative Stress and Inflammation Biomarkers and SIRT-1 Levels in Fibromyalgia Patients
Evaluation of the Effect of Curcumin and Piperine Supplementation on Clinical Outcome in Fibromyalgia Patients.
Who cites it
89 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 113 citations in OpenAlex.
- Sexually Dimorphic Neuroimmune Pathways in Chronic Pain: A Comprehensive Systematic Review of Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms.Biomolecules · 2026Pooled it
- Cytokines in primary headache disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.The journal of headache and pain · 2023Pooled it
- A meta-analysis of neuroimaging evidence for acupuncture-mediated modulation of altered central pain processing in patients with chronic pain.Frontiers in neurologyPooled it
- Relationship Between Central Sensitization and Genetic Polymorphisms-A Case-Control Study in Fibromyalgia.European journal of pain (London, England) · 2026Trial
- Ultrasound-Guided Stellate Ganglion Block in Fibromyalgia: A Randomized, Single-Center, Single-Blind, Sham-Controlled Trial.Pain research & management · 2026Trial
- Nutraceutical Supplementation as a Potential Non-Drug Treatment for Fibromyalgia: Effects on Lipid Profile, Oxidative Status, and Quality of Life.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Trial
- IgG Glycosylation Patterns May Identify Distinct Clinical Trajectories in Fibromyalgia Patients: A Longitudinal Pilot Study.European journal of pain (London, England) · 2026Article
- Acute Effects of Resistance Training and Pilates in Individuals with Fibromyalgia: A Crossover Pilot Study.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2026Article
- Review
- Duloxetine as a gut-brain axis modulator in irritable bowel syndrome: neuroimmune, microbiota, and pharmacogenomic perspectives.Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology · 2026Review
- Increased risk of periodontal disease and poor oral-related quality of life in fibromyalgia.Acta odontologica Scandinavica · 2026Article
- Anti-inflammatory Diets for Chronic Pain Disorders With a Focus on Fibromyalgia: A Narrative Review.Cureus · 2026Review
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Is Associated with Increased Risk of Fibromyalgia: A Retrospective Cohort Study.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Investigation of MMP-3, IL-6, IL-6R, and TNF-Alpha Levels in Fibromyalgia Patients Presenting to a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Microbiome-derived metabolites alleviate chronic pain in a reserpine-induced model of fibromyalgia.iScience · 2026Article
- Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia - overlap, differences, and emerging insights.Journal of translational medicine · 2026Review
- Moving Toward Objective Diagnosis in Fibromyalgia: Emerging Biomarkers and Digital Phenotyping Tools.Biomedicines · 2026Review
- Neuro-immune contributors to persistent musculoskeletal pain: from mechanisms to clinical assessment and management.Musculoskeletal science & practice · 2026Review
- Role of Exercise in Fibromyalgia Management: A Narrative Review of Mechanisms, Modalities, and Clinical Evidence.Cureus · 2026Review
- Clinical, immunological and metabolomic risk factors associated with fibromyalgia in a cohort of patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Article
29 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesThe aetiology of primary chronic pain syndromes (CPS) is highly disputed. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis aiming to assess differences in circulating cytokine levels in patients with diffuse CPS (fibromyalgia) vs healthy controls (HC).
methodsHuman studies published in English from the PubMed, MEDLINE/Scopus and Cochrane databases were systematically searched from inception up to January 2020. We included full text cross-sectional or longitudinal studies with baseline cytokine measurements, reporting differences in circulating cytokine levels between fibromyalgia patients and HC. Random-effects meta-analysis models were used to report pooled effects and 95% CIs. This study is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020193774).
resultsOur initial search yielded 324 papers and identified 29 studies (2458 participants) eligible for systematic review and 22 studies (1772 participants) suitable for meta-analysis. The systematic analysis revealed reproducible findings supporting different trends of cytokine levels when fibromyalgia patients were compared with HC, while the chemokine eotaxin, was consistently raised in fibromyalgia. Meta-analysis showed significantly increased TNF-α [standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.60, P = 0.0034; I2 = 71%, Q2P = 0.0002], IL-6 (SMD = 0.15, 95% CI: 0.003, 0.29, P = 0.045; I2 = 39%, Q2P = 0.059), IL-8 (SMD = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.47, P = 0.01; I2 = 61%, Q2P = 0.005) and IL-10 (SMD = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.34, 0.89, P < 0.001; I2 = 10%, Q2P = 0.34) in fibromyalgia patients compared with HC.
conclusionWe found evidence of significant differences in the peripheral blood cytokine profiles of fibromyalgia patients compared with HC. However, the distinctive profile associated with fibromyalgia includes both pro-inflammatory (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokines in pooled analysis, as well as chemokine (eotaxin) signatures. Further research is required to elucidate the role of cytokines in fibromyalgia.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.