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Torén L, Lagerstrand K, Waldenberg C, Brisby H, Hebelka H. Different Load-Induced Alterations in Intervertebral Discs Between Low Back Pain Patients and Controls: A T2-map Study. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2024; 49:E239-E248. [PMID: 38751239 DOI: 10.1097/brs.0000000000005028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
STUDY DESIGN Prospective cohort study. OBJECTIVE Investigate load-induced effects in lumbar intervertebral discs (IVDs) and differences between low back pain (LBP) patients and controls. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA T2-map values, obtained from quantitative MRI sequences, reflect IVD tissue composition and integrity. Feasibility studies with T2-mapping indicate different load-induced effects in entire IVDs and posterior IVD parts between LBP patients and controls. Larger studies are required to confirm these findings and increase the understanding of specific characteristics distinguishing IVD changes in LBP patients compared with controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS Lumbar IVDs of 178 patients (mean age: 43.8 yr; range: 20-60 yr) with >3 months of LBP and 74 controls (mean age: 40.3 yr; range: 20-60 yr) were imaged with T2-map sequence in a 3T scanner in supine position without axial load, immediately followed by a repeated examination, using the same sequence, with axial load. On both examinations, mean T2-map values were obtained from entire IVDs and from central/posterior IVD parts on the three midsagittal slices in 855 patient IVDs and 366 control IVDs. Load-induced effect was compared with Fold-change ratio and adjusted for IVD-degeneration grade. RESULTS Loading induced an increase in T2-map values in both patients and controls. Excluding most extreme values, the ranges varied between -15% and +35% in patients and -11% and +36% in controls (first to 99th percentile). Compared with controls, the T2-map value increase in patients was 2% smaller in entire IVDs (Fold-change: 0.98, P =0.031), and for central and posterior IVD parts 3% (Fold-change: 0.98, P =0.005), respectively, 2% (Fold-change: 0.9, P =0.015) smaller. CONCLUSIONS This quantitative study confirmed diverse load-induced behaviors between LBP patients and controls, suggesting deviant biomechanical characteristics between IVDs in patients and controls not only attributed to the global grade of degeneration. These findings are an important step in the continuous work of identifying specific IVD phenotypes for LBP patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level II.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leif Torén
- Department of Radiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Kerstin Lagerstrand
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Christian Waldenberg
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Helena Brisby
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Orthopedics, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Hanna Hebelka
- Department of Radiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Johansson F, Sirat Z, Hebelka H, Brisby H, Nordström F, Lagerstrand K. Non-Invasive Evaluation of Intradiscal Deformation during Axial Loading of the Spine Using Deformation-Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Potential Tool for Micro-Instability Measurements. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11164665. [PMID: 36012904 PMCID: PMC9410209 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11164665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Degeneration alters the structural components of the disc and its mechanical behavior. Understanding this pathophysiological process is of great importance, as it may lead to back pain. However, non-invasive methods to characterize the disc mechanics in vivo are lacking. Here, a potential method for measurements of the intradiscal deformation under stress is presented. The method utilizes a standard MRI protocol, commercial loading equipment, and registration software. The lumbar spine (L1/L2–L5/S1) of 36 human subjects was imaged with and without axial loading of the spine. The resulting images were registered, and changes in the images during the registration were displayed pixel-by-pixel to visualize the internal deformation of the disc. The degeneration grade, disc height, disc angle and tilt angle were determined and correlated with the deformation using multivariate regression analysis. The largest deformation was found at the lower lumbar spine, and differences in regional behaviors between individual discs were found. Weak to moderate correlations between the deformation and different disc characteristics were found, where the degeneration grade and tilt angle were the main contributing factors. To conclude, the image-based method offers a potential tool to study the pathophysiological process of the disc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frida Johansson
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
- Correspondence:
| | - Zainab Sirat
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Hanna Hebelka
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Radiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Helena Brisby
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Orthopaedics, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Nordström
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Kerstin Lagerstrand
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
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Xu D, Ma X, Sun C, Han J, Zhou C, Wong SH, Chan MTV, Wu WKK. Circular RNAs in Intervertebral Disc Degeneration: An Updated Review. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 8:781424. [PMID: 35071323 PMCID: PMC8770867 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.781424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Low back pain, a common medical condition, could result in severe disability and inflict huge economical and public health burden. Its pathogenesis is attributed to multiple etiological factors, including intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). Emerging evidence suggests that circular RNAs (circRNAs), a major type of regulatory non-coding RNA, play critical roles in cellular processes that are pertinent to IDD development, including nucleus pulposus cell proliferation and apoptosis as well as extracellular matrix deposition. Increasing number of translational studies also indicated that circRNAs could serve as novel biomarkers for the diagnosis of IDD and/or predicting its clinical outcomes. Our review aims to discuss the recent progress in the functions and mechanisms of newly discovered IDD-related circRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derong Xu
- Department of Spine Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xuexiao Ma
- Department of Spine Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Chong Sun
- Department of Spine Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jialuo Han
- Department of Spine Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Chuanli Zhou
- Department of Spine Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Sunny Hei Wong
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Matthew T V Chan
- Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care and Peter Hung Pain Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - William K K Wu
- Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care and Peter Hung Pain Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,State Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, LKS Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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Use of machine learning to select texture features in investigating the effects of axial loading on T 2-maps from magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar discs. EUROPEAN SPINE JOURNAL : OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE EUROPEAN SPINE SOCIETY, THE EUROPEAN SPINAL DEFORMITY SOCIETY, AND THE EUROPEAN SECTION OF THE CERVICAL SPINE RESEARCH SOCIETY 2021; 31:1979-1991. [PMID: 34718864 DOI: 10.1007/s00586-021-07036-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent advances in texture analysis and machine learning offer new opportunities to improve the application of imaging to intervertebral disc biomechanics. This study employed texture analysis and machine learning on MRIs to investigate the lumbar disc's response to loading. METHODS Thirty-five volunteers (30 (SD 11) yrs.) with and without chronic back pain spent 20 min lying in a relaxed unloaded supine position, followed by 20 min loaded in compression, and then 20 min with traction applied. T2-weighted MR images were acquired during the last 5 min of each loading condition. Custom image analysis software was used to segment discs from adjacent tissues semi-automatically and segment each disc into the nucleus, anterior and posterior annulus automatically. A grey-level, co-occurrence matrix with one to four pixels offset in four directions (0°, 45°, 90° and 135°) was then constructed (320 feature/tissue). The Random Forest Algorithm was used to select the most promising classifiers. Linear mixed-effect models and Cohen's d compared loading conditions. FINDINGS All statistically significant differences (p < 0.001) were observed in the nucleus and posterior annulus in the 135° offset direction at the L4-5 level between lumbar compression and traction. Correlation (P2-Offset, P4-Offset) and information measure of correlation 1 (P3-Offset, P4-Offset) detected significant changes in the nucleus. Statistically significant changes were also observed for homogeneity (P2-Offset, P3-Offset), contrast (P2-Offset), and difference variance (P4-Offset) of the posterior annulus. INTERPRETATION MRI textural features may have the potential of identifying the disc's response to loading, particularly in the nucleus and posterior annulus, which appear most sensitive to loading. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Diagnostic: individual cross-sectional studies with consistently applied reference standard and blinding.
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Zhang Z, Zeng J, Li Y, Liao Q, Huang D, Zou Y, Liu G. Tail suspension delays ectopic ossification in proteoglycan-induced ankylosing spondylitis in mice via miR-103/DKK1. Exp Ther Med 2021; 22:965. [PMID: 34335907 PMCID: PMC8290398 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.10397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS), characterized by inflammatory lesions and osteophyte formation, is a common immune rheumatic disease affecting the sacroiliac and axial joints. A high-intensity mechanical load is known to accelerate the heterotopic ossification associated with enthesitis in AS. Thus, the present study explored whether decreased mechanical load could delay the heterotopic ossification in AS. First, 24-week-old female BALB/c mice were induced with proteoglycan (PG) to establish an AS model. The AS-induced pathological and bone morphological changes of the sacroiliac joint were confirmed by hematoxylin and eosin staining and microCT analysis, respectively. Subsequently, the mice were treated with interventions of different mechanical loads. Using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, it was revealed that expression levels of the osteogenesis-related genes bone morphogenetic protein-2, runt-related transcription factor 2 and osteocalcin were significantly reduced in sacroiliac bone tissue after intervention with a reduced mechanical load. The level of mechanosensory microRNA (miR)-103 increased in response to reduced mechanical loads. Consistently, in groups with reduced mechanical load, proteins with mechanical functions, including ρ-associated coiled-coil-containing protein kinase 1 (ROCK1), phosphorylated (p)-Erk1/2 and β-catenin, were reduced compared with the PG control. A dual-luciferase assay verified that miR-103 binds to the 3'-untranslated region end of Rock1 mRNA, thus negatively regulating the activity of Rock1 and affecting pathological ossification during AS. However, immunohistochemical staining indicated that the expression of dickkopf Wnt signaling pathway inhibitor 1, an inhibitor of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, was increased in sacroiliac tissues. The results indicated that tail suspension decreased the mechanical load, thus reducing the bone formation in AS mice. Furthermore, tail suspension could inhibit the activation of mechanical kinase ROCK1 and p-Erk1/2 in the MAPK signaling pathway by upregulating miR-103, thereby inhibiting the classical osteogenesis-related Wnt/β-catenin pathway in AS. In summary, the present study uncovered the ameliorative effect of suspension on AS and its therapeutic potential for AS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenzhen Zhang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510000, P.R. China.,Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, P.R. China.,Department of Rehabilitation, Hankou Hospital, Wuhan, Hubei 430015, P.R. China
| | - Jing Zeng
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510000, P.R. China
| | - Yang Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510000, P.R. China
| | - Qing Liao
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510000, P.R. China
| | - Dongdong Huang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510000, P.R. China
| | - Yucong Zou
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510000, P.R. China
| | - Gang Liu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510000, P.R. China.,Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, P.R. China
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