title: Detection of bacterial DNA in painful degenerated spinal discs in patients without signs of clinical infection.
abstract: A local inflammatory and potentially painful response, of which the ultimate cause is unknown, has been described in nervous tissues in contact with degenerated disc material in patients with low back and leg pain. With the rationale that a possible cause of such inflammation could be bacterial infection, we utilized PCR (polymerase chain reaction) amplification of the 16S rRNA (ribosomal RNA) gene followed by gene sequencing, to investigate whether bacterial DNA might be detected in the degenerative discs of 10 patients operated for disc herniation or post-discectomy syndrome. One patient with disc hernia harbored DNA homologous to Bacillus cereus, and in one patient suffering from post-discectomy syndrome, Citrobacter braaki/freundii DNA was detected. The finding demonstrates that 16S rRNA PCR can be a useful tool in search of bacterial DNA in degenerated discs, which in turn may be indicative of low-grade infection, manifesting itself only as pain rather than as clinical infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Center for Clinical Research Falun Hospital, 79182, Falun, Sweden. peter.fritzell@ltdalarna.se
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fritzell
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bergström
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Welinder-Olsson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001409:Bacillus cereus / Q000235:genetics; D001416:Back Pain / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016971:Citrobacter freundii / Q000235:genetics; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016268:Internal Fixators / Q000009:adverse effects; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000294:innervation / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S