Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a severe neuropathic facial pain disorder, often caused by vascular or neuronal compression of the trigeminal nerve. In such cases, microvascular decompression (MVD) surgery can be used to treat TN, but pain relief is not guaranteed. The molecular mechanisms that affect treatment response to MVD are not well understood. In this exploratory study, we performed label-free quantitative proteomic profiling of plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from patients undergoing MVD for TN, then compared the proteomic profiles of patients graded as responders (n = 7) versus non-responders (n = 9). We quantified 1090 proteins in plasma and 1087 proteins in the CSF, of which 12 were differentially regulated in the same direction in both sample types. Functional analyses of differentially regulated proteins in protein-protein interaction networks suggested pathways of immune system, axon guidance, and cellular stress response to be associated with response to MVD. These findings suggest potential biomarkers of response to MVD, as well as possible mechanisms of variable treatment success in TN patients. PERSPECTIVE: This exploratory study evaluates proteomic profiles in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid of patients undergoing microvascular decompression surgery for trigeminal neuralgia. Differential expression of proteins between surgery responders versus non-responders may serve as biomarkers to predict surgical success and provide insight into surgical mechanisms of pain relief in trigeminal neuralgia.
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