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Rheumatology Advance Access originally published online on March 5, 2008
Rheumatology 2008 47(5):572-577; doi:10.1093/rheumatology/ken027
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© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

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Exploring the genetic susceptibility of chronic widespread pain: the tender points in genetic association studies

K. L. Limer*, B. I. Nicholl*, W. Thomson and J. McBeth

Arthritis Research Campaign Epidemiology Unit, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.

Correspondence to: K. L. Limer, ARC Epidemiology Unit, University of Manchester, Stopford Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT. E-mail: kate.limer{at}manchester.ac.uk


  Abstract

Chronic widespread pain (CWP) is a prevalent disorder associated with a low pain threshold and increased levels of psychological distress. Evidence indicates that there is a genetic component to CWP syndromes and pain sensitivity. Here we have identified and reviewed the current literature on genetic association (GA) studies of CWP and pain sensitivity by searching MEDLINE and EMBASE between January 1990 and May 2007. Of the 18 candidate genes studied to date, no definitive susceptibility genes have been identified. This review highlights the key issues for consideration when interpreting the findings from existing studies and in designing future studies to ensure robust and comparable findings in this field. Well-designed GA studies are essential if the genetic component to CWP aetiology is to be fully determined.

KEY WORDS: Fibromyalgia, Chronic widespread pain, Pain sensitivity, Genetics, Study design

*KL Limer and BI Nicholl equally contributed to this work.

Submitted 28 August 2007; revised version accepted 11 January 2008.
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