A Potential Link Between Preoperative Inflammation Biomarkers and Acute Postoperative Pain Following VATS

Area of Science:

• Thoracic Surgery
• Oncology
• Pain Management
• Biomarkers

Background:

• Postoperative pain is a significant issue following Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS).
• Preoperative inflammatory biomarkers are linked to chronic pain after major surgery, but their role in acute pain post-VATS is unclear.
• Understanding these associations can improve patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between preoperative inflammatory biomarkers and acute postoperative pain in lung cancer patients undergoing VATS.
• To identify specific inflammatory markers associated with pain levels and opioid consumption.
• To develop a predictive model for acute postoperative pain.

Main Methods:

• Observational cohort study of 92 lung cancer patients undergoing VATS.
• Analysis of 92 preoperative plasma inflammatory markers using Olink Bioscience inflammation panel.
• Measurement of postoperative pain (0-10 scale) for 48 hours, alongside opioid usage.
• Statistical analysis including Principal Component Analysis, OPLS-DA, and multiple linear regression.

Main Results:

• 41 inflammatory biomarkers passed quality control; 16 were identified as important by OPLS-DA.
• A predictive model explained 27.2% of postoperative pain variability.
• A refined model, including biomarkers 4E-BP1, STAMBP, MCP-2, VEGFA, and adjusted for opioid consumption, explained 34.3% of pain variability.

Conclusions:

• This study is the first to show a link between preoperative inflammatory biomarkers, opioid use, and acute postoperative pain after VATS in lung cancer patients.
• These findings suggest potential targets for pain management strategies.
• Further research is required to validate these associations and their clinical utility.