Network-Based Analysis of Fibromyalgia-Associated Genes Identifies Candidate Molecular Targets and Enriched Biological Pathways

Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder characterized by pain and somatic symptoms whose mechanisms are not fully understood. Central sensitization, a process by which the central nervous system amplifies pain signals, is a key aspect of fibromyalgia pathophysiology. Researchers analyzed fibromyalgia-associated genes using four online databases and created a protein network. TNF and IL6 were identified as the most significant hub genes with the highest degree of centrality. Functional analysis revealed that the Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathway is a significantly enriched pathway with fold enrichment of 6.78 and FDR of 0.0346. These findings provide potential molecular targets and biological pathways for further investigation into fibromyalgia pathophysiology and treatment.