A Retrospective Study to Identify New "Omics" Biomarkers of Chronic/Persistent Low Back Pain

Retrospective observational multinational clinical study, with a case control design.

Investigators will compare "omic biomarkers" between patients with and without persistent chronic low back pain (CLBP).

"OMIC" biomarkers investigated will be genetics, glycomics and activomic. Genetics through GWA studies has already obtained important results in pain research; however concerning low back pain, there is not yet suitable genotype-phenotype correlations helpful to stratify patients.

Glycomics is an emerging field that has recently been identified as a priority for the next decade by the US National Academies of Science. Many common complex diseases will be associated with specific changes in glycan structures. In addition, common genetic polymorphisms influencing glycosylation and consequent differences in glycome composition could be important diagnostic and prognostic markers. The first studies reporting protein glycosylation in large human population samples have been recently published by partners in the consortium. Reliable identification of valid associations between specific glyco-phenotypes and predisposition for the development or progression of a specific disease requires analysis of thousands of patients.

Activomics: combines data about enzymatic activity of numerous numerous post-translational modification proteins in an integrated model which provides dynamic characterization of the current state of an organism. In this project information about numerous proteases, kinases, phosphatases and glycosidases will be collected and used to complement the existing phenotype information.

Inclusion criteria

of patients with persistent CLBP:

• age: older than 18;
• chronic/persistent pain (pain lasting longer than 12 weeks) between the costal margins and gluteal fold, with or without symptoms into one or both legs
• written informed consent signed;
• Caucasian ancestry

Inclusion criteria

of healthy volunteers:

• age: older than 18;
• without any chronic/persistent pain (pain lasting longer than 12 weeks) in the last one year;
• written informed consent signed;
• Caucasian ancestry

Exclusion criteria

• evidence of clinically unstable disease;
• severe psychiatric disorder (excluding mild depression) or mental impairment;
• recent history ( < 1 year) of spinal fracture;
• pain in the back due to spinal tumor or infection;
• pregnancy