Biomarkers for Pain in Spinal Cord Injury Patients

Biomarkers for Pain in Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Patients

The investigators propose to compare plasma protein profiles for SCI patients with/without chronic neuropathic pain in order identify biomarker(s) that are associated with this medical condition. Secondly, the investigators propose to identify a temporal relationship to initial SCI at which these biomarkers manifest.

Our working hypothesis is that sustained alterations in specific inflammatory molecules are associated with chronic neuropathic pain following SCI, and that their plasma levels can serve as biomarkers to identify patients at risk for the development of neuropathic pain.

Additionally the investigators are collecting skin tissue biopsy samples from patients following acute and chronic spinal cord injury to create vector-free human iPS cells from fibroblasts by direct delivery of reprogramming proteins.

A. Chronic Patients

Inclusion:

1. Two or more years post traumatic SCI with deficit

Exclusion:

1. < 18 years of age
2. Evidence of brain injury on computed tomography (CT) (SCI patients need to be able to comply with completing the pain survey)
3. Other medical condition that accounts for chronic pain (i.e. diabetic neuropathy, renal insufficiency, multiple sclerosis, HIV associated neuropathy, alcohol-related neuropathy)
4. Temperature > 100.5°C
5. History of infection within the last 30 days (i.e. UTI, URI, pressure sore)
6. History of Pulmonary Embolus (PE) or deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
7. Inability to obtain informed consent
8. Psychiatric problems (patients need to be able to complete the pain survey)
9. Diagnosis or treatment of cancer in the last 5 years

B. Longitudinal, Prospective Cohort Patients:

Inclusion:

1. Initial traumatic SCI with deficit

Exclusion:

Same as listed above C. Healthy Volunteers Healthy volunteers include gender, age and race matched volunteers able to provide informed consent who have,

1. No significant medical history (pain free)
2. No recent infections
3. Take no medications
4. Fever free
5. Greater than 18 years old