title: Analysis of association between IL-1β, CASP-9, and GDF5 variants and low-back pain in Chinese male soldier: clinical article.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent studies have suggested that genetic risk factors play an important role in the occurrence of low-back pain (LBP) and lumbar disc disease. The authors' study aimed to assess the association between 3 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and susceptibility to LBP related to military training.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this case-control study, data from 892 Chinese male soldiers were retrospectively reviewed. The case group was made up of 305 soldiers with LBP related to military training and a control group of 587 soldiers without constant LBP for more than 2 weeks. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes of all subjects and polymerase chain reaction products were genotyped.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No association was found between the SNP of interleukin-1β (IL-1β; +3954C/T) and LBP at both the genotypic (p = 0.104) and the allelic (p = 0.098) level. However, the G allele of caspase-9 (CASP-9) and the T allele of growth differentiation factor 5 (GDF5) were more common in patients with LBP than in patients without LBP (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings in a Chinese military cohort indicated that CASP-9 (-1263A/G) and GDF5 (+104T/C) polymorphisms are associated with a susceptibility to LBP related to military training.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Orthopedics, Xijing Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
authors.forename: Jihong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.forename: Weiming
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Xincheng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zuo
authors.forename: Yuxuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Changlin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000235:genetics*; D002681:China; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D055428:Growth Differentiation Factor 5 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000235:genetics*; D055959:Intervertebral Disc Degeneration / Q000235:genetics*; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000235:genetics*; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000235:genetics*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000235:genetics; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C525893:GDF5 protein, human; D055428:Growth Differentiation Factor 5; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; C506433:CASP9 protein, human; D053453:Caspase 9