Review
Biology and therapy of fibromyalgia. Genetic aspects of fibromyalgia syndrome
1 Department of Medicine H, Soroka Medical Center and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel
2 Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital L. Sacco, Milan, Italy
Arthritis Research & Therapy 2006, 8:218 doi:10.1186/ar2005
Published: 28 July 2006Abstract
Genetic and environmental factors may play a role in the etiopathology of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and other related syndromes. There is a high aggregation of FMS in families of FMS patients. The mode of inheritance is unknown but it is most probably polygenic. There is evidence that polymorphisms of genes in the serotoninergic, dopaminergic and catecholaminergic systems play a role in the etiology of FMS. These polymorphisms are not specific for FMS and are associated with other functional somatic disorders and depression. Future genetic studies in the field of FMS and related conditions should be conducted in larger cohorts of patients and ethnically matched control groups.
