IL-8 and IL-6 primarily mediate the inflammatory response in fibromyalgia patients

•We measured the levels of inflammatory mediators in fibromyalgia patients.•Fibromyalgia patients had higher levels of IL-6 and IL-8 than healthy volunteers.•IL-6 and IL-8 are two of the most constant inflammatory mediators in fibromyalgia.•The IL-6 and IL-8 levels correlate with the severity of fibromyalgia symptoms.•IL-6 and IL-8 could have additive effects in the continuous pain in fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic disease that has been linked to inflammatory reactions and changes in the systemic levels of proinflammatory cytokines that modulate responses in the sympathetic nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. We found that concentrations of IL-6 and IL-8 were elevated in FM patients. Both cytokines correlated with clinical scores, suggesting that IL-6 and IL-8 have additive or synergistic effects in perpetuating the chronic pain in FM patients. These findings indicate that IL-6 and IL-8 are two of the most constant inflammatory mediators in FM and that their levels correlate significantly with the severity of symptoms.

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