Abstract
Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of control and degenerate human nucleus pulposis to respond to an exogenous proinßammatory stimulus. Methods: Disc material from patients undergoing surgery for scoliosis, sciatica and low back pain was cultured under basal and lipopolysaccharride (LPS) stimulated conditions using a serumless technique. Levels of IL-1β, TNFα, LTB4, GM-CSF, IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, PGE2, bFGF and TGFβ-1 in the media were estimated using commercially available enzyme linked immunoabsorbent assay kits. Results: Neither basal nor LPS stimulated control nucleus pulposis (NP) produced detectable levels of IL-1β, TNFα, LTB4 or GM-CSF. LPS induced a significant increase in scoliotic disc IL-8 production, p< .02. LPS induced signiþcant increases in degenerate disc IL-6, IL-8 and PGE2 production, p< .01, p< .001 and p< .005 respectively. LPS signiþcantly increased degenerate disc IL-6, IL-8 and PGE2 production compared to LPS stimulated scoliotic disc, p< .05, p< .02 and p< .003 respectively. Conclusions: Human nucleus pulposus can react to a pro-inßammatory stimulus by secreting IL-6, IL-8 and PGE2, suggesting that the NP may actively participate in the genesis of chemical radiculitis and dis-cogenic back pain.
Theses abstracts were prepared by Professor Dr. Frantz Langlais. Correspondence should be addressed to him at EFORT Central Office, Freihofstrasse 22, CH-8700 Küsnacht, Switzerland.
