title: Association of FAS and FAS ligand polymorphisms with the susceptibility and severity of lumbar disc degeneration in Chinese Han population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Apoptosis is involved in the mechanism of lumbar disc degeneration (LDD).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aim to determine whether the polymorphisms of FAS and FASL are associated with the presence and severity of LDD.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 348 patients with LDD and 215 healthy controls were genotyped.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with LDD showed higher frequency of-1377GA and AA, as well as-844CT and TT genotypes than normal controls. These genotypes were found to be associated with the risk of higher grades of LDD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The polymorphisms of FAS and FASL may be associated with the presence and severity of LDD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Guang-Bin
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Xiao-Rui
authors.initials: XR
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Chen-Lai
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Yong-Jian
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Qing-Si
authors.initials: QS
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Xiao-Mei
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Xin-Chun
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics; D044466:Asian People; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D055959:Intervertebral Disc Degeneration / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012306:Risk; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C491901:FAS protein, human; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D019014:fas Receptor