Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39834555›Full record

ArticleBrain, behavior, & immunity - health2025

Exploring the role of inflammatory biomarkers in trigeminal neuralgia.

Shenglong Lai, Haiyang Li, Yazhou Xing, Du Wu, Lin Wang, Qinghua Liang

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Brain, behavior, & immunity - health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Shenglong LaiDepartment of Neurosurgery, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, People's Hospital of Henan University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450003, China.
Haiyang LiDepartment of Neurosurgery, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, People's Hospital of Henan University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450003, China.
Yazhou XingDepartment of Neurosurgery, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, People's Hospital of Henan University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450003, China.
Du WuDepartment of Neurosurgery, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, People's Hospital of Henan University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450003, China.
Lin WangDepartment of Neurosurgery, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, People's Hospital of Henan University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450003, China.
Qinghua LiangDepartment of Neurosurgery, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, People's Hospital of Henan University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450003, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a severe facial pain disorder with complex etiology. Inflammation has been suggested as a contributing factor to TN pathogenesis. This study investigates the causal relationship between inflammatory biomarkers, including 41 circulating inflammatory cytokines, C-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin (PCT), and TN using Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Methods: A two-sample MR approach was employed using genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from 8293 Finnish individuals for inflammatory cytokines and data from the FinnGen database for TN. Instrumental variables (IVs) were selected based on genome-wide significance and clumping thresholds to avoid linkage disequilibrium. Inverse variance weighting (IVW) was used as the primary method, complemented by MR Egger regression, weighted median, simple mode, and weighted mode methods. Additionally, Bayesian Weighted MR (BWMR) and Multivariable MR (MVMR) were utilized to validate the findings and explore potential confounders. Results: The present MR analysis identified significant causal associations for three inflammatory cytokines with TN. Stem cell growth factor beta (SCGF-β) (OR = 1.362, 95% CI = 1.049-1.770, p = 0.021) and Interleukin-4 (IL-4) (OR = 1.533, 95% CI = 1.014-2.316, p = 0.043) were positively associated with TN, while Interleukin-16 (IL-16) (OR = 0.720, 95% CI = 0.563-0.921, p = 0.009) had a protective effect. CRP levels were also linked to TN risk (OR = 0.751, 95% CI = 0.593-0.951, p = 0.017). No significant causal effect of PCT on TN was observed. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings, showing no evidence of horizontal pleiotropy or heterogeneity. Conclusion: This study highlights specific inflammatory biomarkers that may play pivotal roles in TN pathogenesis. SCGF-β and IL-4 are potential therapeutic targets due to their facilitative effects on TN, while IL-16 could offer protective benefits. CRP's association with TN further supports the involvement of systemic inflammation in this condition. These findings provide novel insights into TN's inflammatory mechanisms, suggesting new avenues for targeted interventions.

Indexed as

C-Reactive proteinCytokinesInflammatory biomarkersMendelian randomizationTrigeminal neuralgia

Identifiers

PMID39834555
PMCPMC11743902

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