Study of the polymorphism of the ADRB2 molecular structure and its influence on the development of chronic postsurgical pain in children

Abstract

Pain is a signal to any aggression that leads to cellular damage and requires a defensive response. Uncontrolled acute perioperative visceral pain can lead to the development of pain chronicity. By studying the characteristics of chronic pain, some scientists have identified relationships with single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the beta2-adrenergic receptor (ADRB2) gene. Purpose – to study the dependence of pain expression in the postoperative period in children on the polymorphism of the molecular structure of the ADRB2 receptor. Materials and methods. The study involved 42 children (20 boys and 22 girls) aged 7 to 18 years who were treated in the surgical department in 2020–2022 for acute appendicitis and peritonitis. Results. Based on the results of examining all the subjects under study, 13 children had the Arg16Gly polymorphism, 15 children had the Arg16Gly polymorphic variant, and 14 children were diagnosed with the homomorphic Gly16Gly polymorphism in the ADRB2. The data obtained confirmed the trend of the preliminary analysis and proved better body response to pain relief and reduced pain intensity in individuals with the Arg16Arg variant of the ADRB2. Analysis of the dependence between the polymorphism of the ADRB2 molecular structure and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores in children in the postoperative period proved that the presence of Arg in the receptor phenotype had a strong negative correlation with the VAS score on discharge day (r=-0.822, p<0.001), while the presence of Gly in the receptor phenotype had a strong positive correlation with the Visual Analogue Scale score on discharge day (r=0.814, p<0.001). In regression analysis, the presence of Gly in the receptor phenotype was associated with a 1.917-fold increase in the VAS score at hospital discharge (OR: 1.917; 95% CI: 1.448–2.385; р<0.001). Conclusions. The presence of the homomorphic Arg16Arg variant of the ADRB2 in children who underwent anterior abdominal wall surgery was accompanied by rapid response to analgesics. The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. The study protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of the participating institution. The informed consent of the patient was obtained for conducting the studies. No conflict of interests was declared by the authors