Exploring the Importance of Internal and External Environmental Exposures for Developing Fibromyalgia – An Exposome Study

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain condition characterized by widespread pain and tenderness. It affects 2-4% of the population and predominantly women.

There are indications that environmental factors are of importance for the development of FM, which is the focus for the present project. We will take an holistic approach and investigate the exposome, encompassing the totality of exposures, of FM patients.

To measure the exposome we will use modern analytical chemistry methods and evaluate the data with bioinformatics tools, e.g. machine learning.

We will use mass spectrometry to chemically profile hundreds of blood samples from FM patients and matched healthy controls. From the gathered data we will create exposome profiles that reflect the totality of exposures in these subjects.

Through statistical multivariate methodologies we will compare the exposome profiles of the groups and evaluate the differences to conclude if there are underlying molecular mechanisms related to exposures of importance for FM.

The project involves a high level of method development that will be of value for the greater exposome research community.

We anticipate that this project will result in new and increased knowledge on FM, specifically whether and how environmental exposures are involved.

The results may be of importance in the treatment of FM and for recommendations regarding diet and other exposures in the development of FM.