| 1. |
- Karppinen, Jaro, et al.
(författare)
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Modic changes and interleukin 1 gene locus polymorphisms in occupational cohort of middle-aged men
- 2009
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Ingår i: European spine journal. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0940-6719 .- 1432-0932. ; 18:12, s. 1963-1970
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- According to recent systematic reviews, Modic changes are associated with low-back pain. However, their pathophysiology remains largely unknown. A previous study of Northern Finnish males implicated that IL1A and MMP3 polymorphisms play a role in type II Modic changes. The purpose of the current study was to examine the association of IL1 cluster polymorphisms with Modic changes amongst middle-aged men in Southern Finland. The final study sample consisted of 108 men from three different occupations, who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with a 0.1 T-scanner. Six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the IL1 gene cluster (IL1A c.1-889C>T; IL1B c.3954C>T; IL1RN c.1812G>A; IL1RN c.1887G>C; IL1RN c.11100T>C; IL1RN c.1506G>A) were genotyped with the SNP-TRAP method or by allele-specific primer extension on modified microarray. In all, 45 subjects had Modic changes at one or more disc levels. The presence of the minor allele of IL1A (c.1-889C>T) was associated with these changes (any Modic change p = 0.031, type II changes p = 0.036). The carriers of the T-allele had a 2.5-fold risk of Modic change and the association was independent of the other IL1 gene cluster loci studied. In addition, a minor haplotype, with a frequency of 7.5% in the study population, including the minor alleles of IL1A c.1-889C>T, IL1RN c.1812G>A, and IL1RN c.1506G>A, was significantly associated with Modic changes. This observation is in accordance with the previous finding from a different geographical area, and thus confirms the importance of the IL1A gene in the pathophysiology of Modic changes.
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| 2. |
- Luoma, Katariina, et al.
(författare)
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Disc height and signal intensity of the nucleus pulposus on magnetic resonance imaging as indicators of lumbar disc degeneration
- 2001
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Ingår i: Spine. - 0362-2436 .- 1528-1159. ; 26:6, s. 680-6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study of degeneration of the lumbar spine. OBJECTIVES: To compare the usefulness of disc height and that of T2-weighted signal intensity as indicators of disc degeneration. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Disc height and signal intensity have been used as indicators for disc degeneration. Their relation to each other and to early degeneration has not been well documented. There is evidence that physical load can affect disc height. METHODS: Forty-one machine operators, 41 construction carpenters, and 46 office workers, aged 40-45 years, and 22 students aged 18-20 years were examined with sagittal magnetic resonance imaging. All study participants were men. The mean value of the anterior and posterior disc height and the relative T2-weighted signal intensity of the nucleus pulposus of discs L2-L3 to L5-S1 were measured. RESULTS: Young men showed the lowest disc height but the highest relative signal intensity. Disc height showed an increasing trend from the office workers (sedentary) to blue-collar workers (more physical work) at all disc levels but L5-S1. Relative signal intensity showed a decreasing trend for these same worker types at all levels. In generalized linear modeling, signal intensity and the occupations, in reference to the young students, showed a significant effect on disc height. CONCLUSIONS: Relative signal intensity was lower in the middle-aged men than in the young men, indicating age-related disc degeneration. Despite the general positive association between disc narrowing and decreased relative signal intensity, disc narrowing may behave unexpectedly in relation to signal intensity and age. Signal intensity may be a more sensitive measure of disc degeneration. The validity of disc height as an indicator of early degeneration seems questionable.
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| 3. |
- Luoma, Katariina, et al.
(författare)
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Low back pain in relation to lumbar disc degeneration
- 2000
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Ingår i: Spine. - 0362-2436 .- 1528-1159. ; 25:4, s. 487-92
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study. OBJECTIVES: To study the relation of low back pain (LBP) to disc degeneration in the lumbar spine. BACKGROUND DATA: Controversy still prevails about the relationship between disc degeneration and LBP. Classification of disc degeneration and symptoms varies, hampering comparison of study results. METHODS: Subjects comprised 164 men aged 40-45 years-53 machine drivers, 51 construction carpenters, and 60 office workers. The data of different types of LBP, individual characteristics, and lifestyle factors were obtained from a questionnaire and a structured interview. Degeneration of discs L2/L3-L5/S1 (dark nucleus pulposus and posterior and anterior bulge) was assessed with MRI. RESULTS: An increased risk of LBP (including all types) was found in relation to all signs of disc degeneration. An increased risk of sciatic pain was found in relation to posterior bulges, but local LBP was not related to disc degeneration. The risks of LBP and sciatic pain were strongly affected by occupation. CONCLUSIONS: Low back pain is associated with signs of disc degeneration and sciatic pain with posterior disc bulges. Low back pain is strongly associated with occupation.
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| 4. |
- Luoma, Katariina, et al.
(författare)
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Lumbar disc degeneration in relation to occupation
- 1998
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health. - 0355-3140 .- 1795-990X. ; 24:5, s. 358-66
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: The aim was to study risk factors of lumbar disc degeneration demonstrable with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with special emphasis on occupational load and back accidents. METHODS: The subjects in this cross-sectional study were 53 machine drivers, 51 construction carpenters, and 60 municipal office workers aged 40-45 years. Data on possible risk factors were available from current structured questionnaires and for 4 and 7 years in retrospect. The prevalence of lumbar disc degeneration L2/L3-L5/S1 was determined with MRI. RESULTS: An increased risk was found for posterior disc bulges among the carpenters and for anterior disc bulges among the machine drivers, but decreased signal intensity was not related to occupation. Car driving was also associated with anterior disc bulges. All signs of disc degeneration were related to a history of back accidents. Disc degeneration was not related to body height, overweight, smoking, or the frequency of physical exercise. CONCLUSIONS: Occupational load affects the risk of disc degeneration of the lumbar spine. Accidental back injuries and motor vehicle driving are associated with an increased risk of disc degeneration. Anterior and posterior disc bulges seem to be related to different types of physical loads.
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| 5. |
- Luoma, Katariina, et al.
(författare)
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Lumbosacral transitional vertebra : relation to disc degeneration and low back pain
- 2004
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Ingår i: Spine. - 0362-2436 .- 1528-1159. ; 29:2, s. 200-5
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional magnetic-resonance imaging (MRI) study. OBJECTIVE To investigate the relation of the lumbosacral transitional vertebra to signs of disc degeneration in MRI and to low back pain (LBP). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: An association between the transitional vertebra and herniation in the disc above has been found in patients with LBP, but knowledge of the relation to other degenerative disc changes detected in MRI and to LBP is lacking. METHODS: MR images of the lumbar spine of 138 middle-aged working men and 25 healthy young men were evaluated. The presence and type of lumbosacral transitional vertebra and of degenerative changes in intervertebral discs were evaluated. The history of low back symptoms was obtained with a questionnaire from the middle-aged men. RESULTS: The prevalence of transitional vertebra was 30%. Transitional vertebra was associated with an increased risk of degenerative changes in the disc above among the young men and with a decreased risk in the disc below among the middle-aged men. Transitional vertebra, symmetric or asymmetric, was not associated with any type of LBP in the middle-aged men. CONCLUSIONS: Lumbosacral transitional vertebra increases the risk of early degeneration in the upper disc. This effect seems to be obscured by age-related changes in the middle age. The degenerative process is slowed down in the lower disc. For these effects, the presence of a transitional vertebra should be noticed when morphologic methods are used in research on lumbosacral spine. Transitional vertebra is not associated with any type of LBP.
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| 6. |
- Luoma, Katariina, et al.
(författare)
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Suitability of cerebrospinal fluid for a signal intensity reference on MRI : Evaluation of signal intensity variations in the lumbosacral dural sac
- 1997
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Ingår i: Neuroradiology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-3940 .- 1432-1920. ; 39:10, s. 728-32
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The suitability of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the lumbosacral dural sac as an internal signal-intensity reference was studied on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the lumbar spine using a surface coil and motion artefact suppression technique. A signal-intensity reference is needed when signal is compared between images, studies or subjects. Homogeneity of the CSF was estimated visually on T2-weighted images of 60 subjects at 1.5 T and of another 60 subjects at 0.1 T. Spines with a severely narrowed dural sac or marked scoliosis were excluded from the study to avoid partial volume effect. CSF was homogeneous in 82% and 73% of the examinations at 1.5 T and 0.1 T, respectively. The type and location of the local inhomogeneities did not relate to local narrowings of the dural sac. The signal intensity of CSF was measured in 108 examinations at 0.1 T after correcting the spatially-dependent signal-intensity non-uniformities with a phantom-based method. The signal-intensity difference between the CSF in the upper and lower lumbar dural sac was less than 10% in 73% of the examinations. The CSF in the lumbosacral dural sac can be a useful signal-intensity reference for estimation of the signal of the adjacent structures in patients without severe narrowing of the dural sac or marked scoliosis. It may contribute to assessing spinal disease processes.
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| 7. |
- Solovieva, Svetlana, et al.
(författare)
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Association between the aggrecan gene variable number of tandem repeats polymorphism and intervertebral disc degeneration
- 2007
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Ingår i: Spine. - 0362-2436 .- 1528-1159. ; 32:16, s. 1700-1705
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between an aggrecan variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) polymorphism and intervertebral disc degeneration in middle-aged Finnish men. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: An association between the aggrecan VNTR polymorphism and multilevel disc degeneration has been previously reported in young Japanese women. METHODS: Lumbar discs of 132 men representing 3 occupations (carpenters, machine drivers, and office workers) were evaluated on magnetic resonance imaging, using decreased signal intensity of the nucleus pulposus, disc bulges, and decreased disc height as signs of degeneration. The aggrecan gene VNTR region was analyzed by Southern hybridization. RESULTS: The allele A26 with 26 repeats was statistically significantly overrepresented among the persons with dark nucleus pulposus. Carrying 2 copies of the A26 allele increased the risk of dark nucleus pulposus (odds ratio = 2.77; 95% confidence interval, 1.24-6.16). Carrying the alleles with either less or more than 26 repeats decreased the risk of dark nucleus pulposus. The carpenters and machine drivers with the A26 allele had a statistically significantly higher risk of disc bulge and decreased disc height than the office workers without the allele. CONCLUSION: The findings provide additional support for the role of the aggrecan gene VNTR polymorphism in intervertebral disc degeneration.
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| 8. |
- Solovieva, Svetlana, et al.
(författare)
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COL9A3 gene polymorphism and obesity in intervertebral disc degeneration of the lumbar spine : evidence of gene-environment interaction
- 2002
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Ingår i: Spine. - 0362-2436 .- 1528-1159. ; 27:23, s. 2691-6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the interaction between the COL9A3 gene polymorphism and persistent obesity in relation to lumbar disc degeneration. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Obesity has been suggested to be a risk factor for disc degeneration. There is some indication for an association between collagen IX genes and lumbar disc disease characterized by sciatica. However, the interaction between those factors in their influences on the risk of disc degeneration has not been studied. METHODS: Blood samples from 135 middle-aged men who had undergone magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the lumbar spine were analyzed for the presence of an arginine to tryptophan change in the COL9A3 gene (Trp3 allele). The men represented three occupations: 41 were machine drivers, 42 were carpenters, and 52 were office workers. The discs L2/L3-L5/S1 were evaluated on MRI, using decreased signal intensity of the nucleus pulposus, posterior disc bulges, and decreased disc height as signs of disc degeneration. Based on self-reports on body height and weight currently and at the age of 25 years, obesity history was classified as no obesity, persistent obesity, and other. Rothman's synergy index was used as a measure of interaction between two factors. RESULTS: The Trp3 allele and persistent obesity acted synergistically to increase the risk of dark nucleus pulposus, posterior disc bulge, and decreased disc height at L4/L5; of multilevel posterior disc bulges; and of decreased disc height. From 45% to 71% of disc degeneration among persistently obese individuals with the Trp3 allele could be attributed to the synergism of these two factors. CONCLUSION: The effect of obesity on lumbar disc degeneration seems to be modified by the collagen IX gene polymorphism, so that people who carry the Trp3 allele are at increased risk if they are persistently obese.
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| 9. |
- Solovieva, Svetlana, et al.
(författare)
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Interleukin 1 polymorphisms and intervertebral disc degeneration
- 2004
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Ingår i: Epidemiology. - : Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health). - 1044-3983 .- 1531-5487. ; 15:5, s. 626-33
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Enzymatic breakdown of the extracellular matrix, and possibly local inflammation, contributes to intervertebral disc degeneration. We investigated whether polymorphisms within the IL-1 gene locus are associated with lumbar disc degeneration and whether the effect of occupational physical load on disc degeneration is modified by the polymorphisms. METHODS: Genotypes were determined from 133 middle-aged men who underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine. The participants represented 3 occupations: 40 were machine drivers, 42 carpenters, and 51 office workers. We evaluated decreased signal intensity of the nucleus pulposus, disc bulges, and decreased disc height as signs of degeneration in the L2/L3-L5/S1 discs. RESULTS: The odds ratio for disc bulges was 2.4 (95% confidence interval = 1.2-4.8) and 1.9 (1.0-3.7), in carriers of the IL-1alphaT or IL-1betaT alleles, respectively. The TT genotype of the IL-1alpha gene carried more than 3-fold risk of disc bulges as compared with the CC genotype. CONCLUSIONS: IL-1 gene cluster polymorphisms could affect the risk of disc degeneration. The effect of physical workload seems to be modified by the IL-1 gene polymorphisms.
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| 10. |
- Solovieva, Svetlana, et al.
(författare)
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Intervertebral disc degeneration in relation to the COL9A3 and the IL-1ss gene polymorphisms
- 2006
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Ingår i: European spine journal. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0940-6719 .- 1432-0932. ; 15:5, s. 613-9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Disc degeneration is a complex condition in which environmental factors and multiple genes are expected to act together to determine the degenerative phenotype. Recently associations of COL9A2 (Trp2 allele) and COL9A3 (Trp3 allele) polymorphisms with lumbar disc disease characterized by sciatica have been reported. However, it is not known whether the Trp2 or Trp3 alleles contribute to disc degeneration (DD). In this study, the association between the collagen genes polymorphisms and lumbar DD was investigated. Furthermore, the influence of the IL-1beta(C(3954)-T) polymorphism on the association of collagen genes polymorphisms with DD was examined. Lumbar intervertebral discs of 135 middle-aged occupationally active men were evaluated with magnetic resonance imaging, using decreased signal intensity of the nucleus pulposus, disc bulges, and decreased disc height as signs of degeneration. Blood samples were analysed for the presence of COL9A3 and COL9A2 tryptophan alleles (Trp3 and Trp2 alleles). The COL11A2, COL2A1 and IL-1beta(C(3954)-T) polymorphisms were also analysed. Multivariate logistic regression analysis allowing for occupation and body mass index showed that the carriage of the Trp3 allele in the absence of the IL-1betaT(3954) allele increased the risk of dark nucleus pulposus (OR 7.0, 95% CI 1.3-38.8) and joint occurrence of degenerative changes (OR 8.0, 95% CI 1.4-44.7). There was no effect of the Trp3 allele on DD in the presence of the IL-1betaT(3954) allele. The carriers of the COL11A2 minor allele had an increased risk of disc bulges (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.0-4.2) as compared with non-carriers. The results suggest that the effect of the COL9A3 gene polymorphism on DD might be modified by the IL-1beta gene polymorphism.
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