{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,16]],"date-time":"2026-07-16T04:05:14Z","timestamp":1784174714851,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"14","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,15]],"date-time":"2026-07-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1784073600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess whether serum inflammatory markers are associated with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), moving beyond the traditional mechanical explanation. Methods: Seven observational studies involving a total of 609 adult participants (CTS patients and matched healthy controls) were included. Studies were selected through comprehensive searches of PubMed and Embase databases up to April 2025. Data extraction and quality assessment were independently performed by two reviewers using the Newcastle\u2013Ottawa Scale. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using random-effects meta-analysis. Results: CTS patients exhibited significantly elevated serum levels of CCL2, CCL5, CXCL10, CXCL8, IL-4, VEGF, and TGF-\u03b2 compared to controls. CCL4 was increased in the fixed-effect model but showed high heterogeneity; however, it was not statistically significant in the random-effects model and demonstrated extreme heterogeneity. No significant or consistent differences were observed for IL-1\u03b2, IL-6, IL-9, IL-10, TNF-\u03b1, or IFN-\u03b1. Conclusions: CTS is associated with a systemic pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic profile. CCL2, CCL5, IL-4, VEGF, and TGF-\u03b2 may serve as promising biomarkers. Further large-scale, standardized studies are needed to validate these findings.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm15145545","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,16]],"date-time":"2026-07-16T03:34:23Z","timestamp":1784172863000},"page":"5545","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Inflammation in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Immune Profile"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Ireneusz","family":"Walaszek","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 48 \u017bo\u0142nierska St., 71-210 Szczecin, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kaja","family":"Gi\u017cewska-Kacprzak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric and Oncological Surgery, Urology and Hand Surgery, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 1 Unii Lubelskiej Street, 71-252 Szczecin, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0806-0564","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Szymon","family":"Grochans","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric and Oncological Surgery, Urology and Hand Surgery, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 1 Unii Lubelskiej Street, 71-252 Szczecin, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2200-3766","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kamila","family":"Rachubi\u0144ska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 48 \u017bo\u0142nierska St., 71-210 Szczecin, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3679-7002","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"El\u017cbieta","family":"Grochans","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 48 \u017bo\u0142nierska St., 71-210 Szczecin, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3430-9079","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Karolina","family":"Skonieczna-\u017bydecka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biochemical Science, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 71-460 Szczecin, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6912-287X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anna Maria","family":"Cybulska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 48 \u017bo\u0142nierska St., 71-210 Szczecin, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"61","DOI":"10.1016\/B978-0-323-90108-6.00005-3","article-title":"Carpal tunnel syndrome","volume":"201","author":"Harinesan","year":"2024","journal-title":"Handb. 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