Increased Levels of Circulating Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein and Collapsin Response Mediator Protein-2 Autoantibodies in the Acute Stage of Spinal Cord Injury Predict the Subsequent Development of Neuropathic Pain

This study investigates the relationship between autoantibodies to GFAP and CRMP2 and the development of neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury (SCI). Neuropathic pain significantly reduces the quality of life for SCI patients. The study found that increased levels of these autoantibodies in the acute stage of SCI (within 6 months of injury) can predict the subsequent development of neuropathic pain. This suggests a potential link between the immune response and neuropathic pain development. The findings suggest that treatments aimed at reducing these autoantibodies could potentially help manage neuropathic pain in SCI patients. This could involve immunosuppressant therapy or plasmapheresis.

• 1
  Plasma GFAPab in the chronic stage of SCI does not correlate with neuropathic pain.
• 2
  GFAPab is detectable in 55% of acute SCI subjects by 16 days post-injury, and its presence predicts the subsequent development of neuropathic pain within 6 months of injury.
• 3
  SCI subjects with detectable GFAPab and/or CRMP2ab at 16 days post-SCI were 9.5 times more likely to develop neuropathic pain within 6 months of injury than those that were negative for both autoantibodies.