Is serum hornerin a potential biomarker in fibromyalgia? A pilot study

Abstract

Abstract Objectives The study aims to investigate the relationship between serum hornerin levels and disease severity and pain scores and to evaluate hornerin’s potential as a biomarker and its role in understanding the etiopathogenesis of fibromyalgia (FM). Methods The study included 36 female patients diagnosed with FM and 36 healthy female volunteers, matched for age and body mass index (BMI). Disease functional status and pain intensity in FM were assessed using the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS), respectively. Serum hornerin levels were measured using a commercial ELISA kit. Results The mean age and BMI were 47.08 ± 9.76 and 27.17 ± 4.19 in the patient group and 43.61 ± 12.40 and 25.43 ± 5.25 in the control group. Serum hornerin levels averaged 2.64 ± 0.50 ng/mL in the patient group and 2.33 ± 0.49 ng/mL in the control group, showing significantly higher levels in the FM group (p=0.009). The median VAS score for FM patients was 8.0 (6.25–10) cm, and the mean FIQ score was 61.64 ± 15.09. The cutoff value for hornerin was determined to be 2.44 ng/mL (with 63.9 % sensitivity and 61.1 % specificity). A positive correlation was found between serum hornerin levels and BMI values. Conclusions Elevated hornerin levels were observed in FM cases. Hornerin has the potential to be explored as a biomarker for diagnosing FM.