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Increase of nerve growth factor levels in the human herniated intervertebral disc: can annular rupture trigger discogenic back pain?

ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: Nerve growth factor (NGF) has an important role in the generation of discogenic pain. We hypothesized that annular rupture is a trigger for discogenic pain through the action of NGF. In this study, the protein levels of NGF in discs from patients with disc herniation were examined and compared with those from discs of patients with other lumbar degenerative disc diseases. METHODS: Patients (n = 55) with lumbar degenerative disc disease treated by surgery were included. Nucleus pulposus tissue (or herniated disc tissue) was surgically removed and homogenized; protein levels were quantified using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for NGF. Levels of NGF in the discs were compared between 1) patients with herniated discs (herniated group) and those with other lumbar degenerative disc diseases (non-herniated group), and 2) low-grade and high-grade degenerated discs. Patient's symptoms were assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS) and the Oswestry disability index (ODI); the influence of NGF levels on pre- and post-operative symptoms was examined. RESULTS: Mean levels of NGF in discs of patients were significantly higher in herniated discs (83.4 pg/mg total protein) than those in non-herniated discs (68.4 pg/mg). CONCLUSIONS: This study reports that NGF increased in herniated discs, and may play an important role in the generation of discogenic pain. Analysis of patient symptoms revealed that pre-operative NGF levels were related to post-operative residual lower extremity pain and LBP in motion. The results suggest that NGF in the disc is related to pain generation, however, the impact of NGF on generation of LBP varies in individual patients.

SUBMITTER: Aoki Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4261264 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Increase of nerve growth factor levels in the human herniated intervertebral disc: can annular rupture trigger discogenic back pain?

Aoki Yasuchika Y Nakajima Arata A Ohtori Seiji S Takahashi Hiroshi H Watanabe Fusako F Sonobe Masato M Terajima Fumiaki F Saito Masahiko M Takahashi Kazuhisa K Toyone Tomoaki T Watanabe Atsuya A Nakajima Takayuki T Takazawa Makoto M Nakagawa Koichi K

Arthritis research & therapy 20140728 4

<h4>Introduction</h4>Nerve growth factor (NGF) has an important role in the generation of discogenic pain. We hypothesized that annular rupture is a trigger for discogenic pain through the action of NGF. In this study, the protein levels of NGF in discs from patients with disc herniation were examined and compared with those from discs of patients with other lumbar degenerative disc diseases.<h4>Methods</h4>Patients (n = 55) with lumbar degenerative disc disease treated by surgery were included. ...[more]

PMID: 25069717

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Project description:Discogenic low back pain (DLBP) is considered the most common type of chronic low back pain (CLBP). Sinuvertebral nerve block (SVNB) is a rapid and precise intervention performed under local anesthesia to treat DLBP induced CLBP. Thus, in this study, we aimed to explore the clinical efficacy of SVNB for DLBP. We retrospectively included 32 DLBP patients from July 2020 and April 2021. Inclusion criteria: The patients had chronic pain, diagnosed as single-segment disc degeneration induced DLBP, and suffered from one-year ineffective conservative treatment. SVNB was performed and the patients were followed up at 3 and 7 days, and at 1 and 3 months after SVNB. The basic clinical characteristics, including age and gender, were collected. The measurements of Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were assessed. The average age was 49.31±14.37 years, and females vs. males was 20 (62.50%) vs. 12 (37.50%). The preoperative VAS and ODI score were 5.75±1.41 and 32.59±21.56, respectively. The VAS score was reduced to 2.50±1.46, 2.63±1.60, 3.53±2.17, and 3.78±2.18 at 3 and 7 days, and 1 and 3 months after SVNB, respectively (P<0.05). The improvement rates in the VAS score were 56.52%, 54.34%, 38.61%, and 34.26% at 3 and 7 days, and 1 and 3 months after SVNB, respectively. 18 patients (56.25%) experienced varying degrees of pain recurrence within 3 months. The ODI score was reduced by 17.28±13.06, 16.84±13.51, 19.63±17.12, and 21.44±19.03 points at 3, 7 days and 1, 3 months after SVNB, respectively (P<0.05). At 3 day and 3 month after SVNB, the ODI scores of 22 patients (68.75%) and 20 patients (62.50%) decreased to ≤20, respectively. The ODI improvement rates were 46.98%, 48.33%, 39.80%, and 34.24% at 3, 7 days and 1, 3 months after SVNB, respectively. We conducted a retrospective study of the clinical efficacy of SVNB for DLBP. As a rapid and cost-effective minimally invasive treatment, SVNB provided some assistance for the short-term pain relief and physical functional improvement of DLBP. SVNB could be a good choice for the treatment of DLBP.

Project description:Study designA rat puncture injury intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration model with structural, biomechanical, and histological analyses.ObjectiveTo determine if males and females have distinct responses in the IVD after injury.Summary of background dataLow back pain (LBP) and spinal impairments are more common in women than men. However, sex differences in IVD response to injury have been underexplored, particularly in animal models where sex differences can be measured without gender confounds.MethodsForty-eight male and female Sprague Dawley rats underwent sham, single annular puncture with tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) injection (1×), or triple annular puncture with TNFα injection (3×) surgery. Six weeks after surgery, lumbar IVDs were assessed by radiologic IVD height, spinal motion segment biomechanical testing, histological degeneration grading, second harmonic generation (SHG) imaging, and immunofluorescence for fibronectin and α-smooth muscle actin.ResultsAnnular puncture injuries significantly increased degenerative grade and IVD height loss for males and females, but females had increased degeneration grade particularly in the annulus fibrosus (AF). Despite IVD height loss, biomechanical properties were largely unaffected by injury at 6 weeks. However, biomechanical measures sensitive to outer AF differed by sex after 3× injury-male IVDs had greater torsional stiffness, torque range, and viscoelastic creep responses. SHG intensity of outer AF was reduced after injury only in female IVDs, suggesting sex differences in collagen remodeling. Both males and females exhibited decreased cellularity and increased fibronectin expression at injury sites.ConclusionIVD injury results in distinct degeneration and functional healing responses between males and females. The subtle sex differences identified in this animal model suggest differences in response to IVD injury that might explain some of the variance observed in human LBP, and demonstrate the need to better understand differences in male and female IVD degeneration patterns and pain pathogenesis.Level of evidenceN/A.

Project description:PurposesTo evaluate the usefulness of our original five questions in a medical interview for diagnosing discogenic low back pain (LBP), and to establish a support tool for diagnosing discogenic LBP.Materials and methodsThe degenerative disc disease (DDD) group (n = 42) comprised patients diagnosed with discogenic LBP associated with DDD, on the basis of magnetic resonance imaging findings and response to analgesic discography (discoblock). The control group (n = 30) comprised patients with LBP due to a reason other than DDD. We selected patients from those who had been diagnosed with lumbar spinal stenosis and had undergone decompression surgery without fusion. Of them, those whose postoperative LBP was significantly decreased were included in the control group. We asked patients in both groups whether they experienced LBP after sitting too long, while standing after sitting too long, squirming in a chair after sitting too long, while washing one's face, and in the standing position with flexion. We analyzed the usefulness of our five questions for diagnosing discogenic LBP, and performed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to develop a diagnostic support tool.ResultsThere were no significant differences in baseline characteristics, except age, between the groups. There were significant differences between the groups for all five questions. In the age-adjusted analyses, the odds ratios of LBP after sitting too long, while standing after sitting too long, squirming in a chair after sitting too long, while washing one's face, and in standing position with flexion were 10.5, 8.5, 4.0, 10.8, and 11.8, respectively. The integer scores were 11, 9, 4, 11, and 12, respectively, and the sum of the points of the five scores ranged from 0 to 47. Results of the ROC analysis were as follows: cut-off value, 31 points; area under the curve, 0.92302; sensitivity, 100%; and specificity, 71.4%.ConclusionsAll five questions were useful for diagnosing discogenic LBP. We established the scoring system as a support tool for diagnosing discogenic LBP.

Dataset Information

Increase of nerve growth factor levels in the human herniated intervertebral disc: can annular rupture trigger discogenic back pain?

Publications

Increase of nerve growth factor levels in the human herniated intervertebral disc: can annular rupture trigger discogenic back pain?

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