The association between genome-wide polymorphisms and chronic postoperative pain: a prospective observational study

Chronic postoperative pain is common and can have a negative impact on quality of life. Recent studies show that genetic risk factors are likely to play a role, although only gene-targeted analysis has been used to date. This is the first genome-wide association study to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with the development of chronic postoperative pain based on two independent cohorts. In a discovery cohort, 330 women scheduled for hysterectomy were genotyped. A case-control association analysis compared patients without chronic postoperative pain and the 34 who had severe chronic postoperative pain 3 months after surgery. No single-nucleotide polymorphisms reached genome-wide significance, but several showed suggestive associations with chronic postoperative pain (p < 1 x 10(-5)). Single-nucleotide polymorphisms with significance p NAV3 was significantly replicated with chronic postoperative pain in the replication cohort (p = 0.009). Meta-analysis revealed that two loci (IQGAP1 and CRTC3) were significantly associated with chronic postoperative pain at 3 months (IQGAP1 p = 3.93 x 10(-6) beta = 2.3863, CRTC3 p = 2.26 x 10(-6), beta = 2.4209). The present genome-wide association study provides initial evidence for genetic risk factors of chronic postoperative pain and supports follow-up studies.