The association of degeneration of the intervertebral disc with 5a/6a polymorphism in the promoter of the human matrix metalloproteinase-3 gene.
It has been suggested that matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3, stromelysin-1) has an important role in the degeneration of intervertebral discs (IVDs). A human MMP-3 promoter 5A/6A polymorphism was reported to be involved in the regulation of MMP-3 gene expression. We suggest that IVD degeneration is associated with 5A/6A polymorphism. We studied 54 young and 49 elderly Japanese subjects. Degeneration of the lumbar discs was graded using MRI in the younger group and by radiography in the elderly. 5A/6A polymorphism was determined by polymerase-chain reaction-based assays. We found that the 5A5A and 5A6A genotype in the elderly was associated with a significantly larger number of degenerative IVDs than the 6A6A (p < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in the young. In the elderly, the IVD degenerative scores were also distributed more highly in the 5A5A and 5A6A genotypes (p = 0.0029). Our findings indicate that the 5A allele is a possible risk factor for the acceleration of degenerative changes in the lumbar disc in the elderly.
Takahashi
M
M
Department of Frontier Surgical Therapeutics, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan.
Haro
H
H
Wakabayashi
Y
Y
Kawa-uchi
T
T
Komori
H
H
Shinomiya
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D019278:Matrix Metalloproteinase 3 / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000235:genetics*
D019278:Matrix Metalloproteinase 3