Table 1.
Potential biomarkers of neurogenic inflammation and neuroinflammation in complex regional pain syndrome
| Biomarkers | Cellular or soluble | Acquisition | Type of inflammation | Use in diagnosis of CRPS a | Use in management of CRPSb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local markers | |||||
| Central microglial activation | Not applicable | [11C]-(R)-PK11195-PET | Neuroinflammation | ? | ? |
| Systemic markers | |||||
| CGRP | Soluble | Venous blood | Neurogenic | + | ? |
| SP | Soluble | Venous blood | Neurogenic | ? | ? |
CGRP calcitonin gene-related peptide, CRPS complex regional pain syndrome, PET positron emission tomography, SP substance P, + indicates a possible role as a biomarker in the diagnosis and/or management of CRPS, ? indicates that insufficient information is currently available to determine a possible role as a biomarker in the diagnosis and/or management of CRPS
aThe biomarker aids the (early) diagnosis of this disease and/or it could be used, together with phenotypical characterization, to identify the underlying mechanisms of disease for selection of therapies
bThe biomarker could be used to monitor disease activity and/or effects of therapy