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Background: Nociceptive and neuropathic pain occurs as part of the disease process after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in humans. Central and peripheral inflammation, a major secondary injury process initiated by the traumatic brain injury event, has been implicated in the potentiation

Background: Nociceptive and neuropathic pain occurs as part of the disease process after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in humans. Central and peripheral inflammation, a major secondary injury process initiated by the traumatic brain injury event, has been implicated in the potentiation of peripheral nociceptive pain. We hypothesized that the inflammatory response to diffuse traumatic brain injury potentiates persistent pain through prolonged immune dysregulation.

Results: To test this, adult, male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to midline fluid percussion brain injury or to sham procedure. One cohort of mice was analyzed for inflammation-related cytokine levels in cortical biopsies and serum along an acute time course. In a second cohort, peripheral inflammation was induced seven days after surgery/injury with an intraplantar injection of carrageenan. This was followed by measurement of mechanical hyperalgesia, glial fibrillary acidic protein and Iba1 immunohistochemical analysis of neuroinflammation in the brain, and flow cytometric analysis of T-cell differentiation in mucosal lymph. Traumatic brain injury increased interleukin-6 and chemokine ligand 1 levels in the cortex and serum that peaked within 1–9 h and then resolved. Intraplantar carrageenan produced mechanical hyperalgesia that was potentiated by traumatic brain injury. Further, mucosal T cells from brain-injured mice showed a distinct deficiency in the ability to differentiate into inflammation-suppressing regulatory T cells (Tregs).

Conclusions: We conclude that traumatic brain injury increased the inflammatory pain associated with cutaneous inflammation by contributing to systemic immune dysregulation. Regulatory T cells are immune suppressors and failure of T cells to differentiate into regulatory T cells leads to unregulated cytokine production which may contribute to the potentiation of peripheral pain through the excitation of peripheral sensory neurons. In addition, regulatory T cells are identified as a potential target for therapeutic rebalancing of peripheral immune homeostasis to improve functional outcome and decrease the incidence of peripheral inflammatory pain following traumatic brain injury.

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    Title
    • Diffuse Traumatic Brain Injury Induces Prolonged Immune Dysregulation and Potentiates Hyperalgesia Following a Peripheral Immune Challenge
    Date Created
    2016-05-13
    Resource Type
  • Text
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    Identifier
    • Digital object identifier: 10.1177/1744806916647055
    • Identifier Type
      International standard serial number
      Identifier Value
      1744-8069
    Note
    • The final version of this article, as published in Molecular Pain, can be viewed online at: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1744806916647055

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    This is a suggested citation. Consult the appropriate style guide for specific citation guidelines.

    Rowe, R. K., Ellis, G. I., Harrison, J. L., Bachstetter, A. D., Corder, G. F., Eldik, L. J., . . . Lifshitz, J. (2016). Diffuse traumatic brain injury induces prolonged immune dysregulation and potentiates hyperalgesia following a peripheral immune challenge. Molecular Pain, 12(0). doi:10.1177/1744806916647055

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