Identification of potential biomarkers of fibromyalgia using a proteomic approach in peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic disorder characterized mainly by pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbances. Its etiology and pathophysiology are not yet well understood, but central sensitization is considered to be the main mechanism involved, although genetic, immune, and hormonal factors have also been proposed to play an essential role in the disease. Currently, fibromyalgia is diagnosed by clinical examination of the patient and the use of clinimetric scales. However, there are no laboratory tests for it, so finding potential biomarkers of this condition will be of great utility for its diagnosis. The aim of this work was to find potential biomarkers of fibromyalgia in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with FM. Using Tandem Mass Tag (TMT) mass spectrometry coupled to Synchronized Precursor Selection (SPS-MS3), we obtained a differential proteomic profile of PBMCs from fibromyalgia patients. The proteomic profile contains 251 proteins, of which 47 were dysregulated in fibromyalgia patients and could be potential biomarkers of this disorder.