Fibromyalgia syndrome and serotonin 

M.N.Y. Alnigenis, P. Barland

Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.

ABSTRACT
Although disturbances in the musculoskeletal system, in the neuroendocrine system and in the central nervous system (CNS) have been implicated in the pathophysiology of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), the primary mechanisms underlying the etiopathogenesis of FMS remain elusive. It has been postulated that disturbances in serotonin metabolism and transmission, along with disturbances in several other chemical pain mediators, are present in patients with FMS. In this article we review published studies on the pathophysiological role of serotonin in FMS. Although studies that indirectly measured the function of serotonin in the CNS in FMS revealed some abnormalities in the metabolism and transmission of serotonin, the role of serotonin in the pathophysiology of syndrome remains inconclusive and warrants more studies. 

Key words
Fibromyalgia, pathophysiology, tryptophan, serotonin.

Please address correspondence to: M. Nergis Yanmaz Alnigenis, MD, Gundogdu Sok, Inan Apt. B 1/2 Kat 4, Merter Istanbul, Turkey 34010. 
E-mail: Muyessera@hotmail.com

Please address reprint requests to: Dr. Peter Barland, MD, Montefiore Medical Center, 111 East 210th Street, Bronx, New York 10467, USA.

Clin Exp Rheumatol 2001; 19: 205-210.
© Copyright Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology 2001.