Gene Expression Profiling Identifies Interferon Signalling Molecules and IGFBP3 in Human Degenerative Annulus Fibrosus.
Low back pain is a major cause of disability especially for people between 20 and 50 years of age. As a costly healthcare problem, it imposes a serious socio-economic burden. Current surgical therapies fail to replace the normal disc in facilitating spinal movements and absorbing load. The focus of regenerative medicine is on identifying biomarkers and signalling pathways to improve our understanding about cascades of disc degeneration and allow for the design of specific therapies. We hypothesized that comparing microarray profiles from degenerative and non-degenerative discs will lead to the identification of dysregulated signalling and pathophysiological targets. Microarray data sets were generated from human annulus fibrosus cells and analysed using IPA ingenuity pathway analysis. Gene expression values were validated by qRT-PCR, and respective proteins were identified by immunohistochemistry. Microarray analysis revealed 238 differentially expressed genes in the degenerative annulus fibrosus. Seventeen of the dysregulated molecular markers showed log2-fold changes greater than ±1.5. Various dysregulated cellular functions, including cell proliferation and inflammatory response, were identified. The most significant canonical pathway induced in degenerative annulus fibrosus was found to be the interferon pathway. This study indicates interferon-alpha signalling pathway activation with IFIT3 and IGFBP3 up-regulation, which may affect cellular function in human degenerative disc.
Centre for Research in Medical Devices (CÚRAM), National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland.|Collaborative Research Partner Annulus Fibrosus Repair Program, AO Foundation, Davos, Switzerland.
Zepur
Z
Kazezian
McGill Scoliosis and Spine Group, Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.|Department of Surgery, Lady Davis Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Rahul
R
Gawri
McGill Scoliosis and Spine Group, Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Lisbet
L
Haglund
McGill Scoliosis and Spine Group, Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Jean
J
Ouellet
Department of Surgery, Lady Davis Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Fackson
F
Mwale
UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, UCD Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Finbarr
F
Tarrant
UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, UCD Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Peadar
P
O'Gaora
Centre for Research in Medical Devices (CÚRAM), National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland.|Collaborative Research Partner Annulus Fibrosus Repair Program, AO Foundation, Davos, Switzerland.
Abhay
A
Pandit
AO Research Institute Davos, Davos, Switzerland.|Collaborative Research Partner Annulus Fibrosus Repair Program, AO Foundation, Davos, Switzerland.
Mauro
M
Alini
AO Research Institute Davos, Davos, Switzerland.|Collaborative Research Partner Annulus Fibrosus Repair Program, AO Foundation, Davos, Switzerland.
Sibylle
S
Grad
D000328:Adult; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D055959:Intervertebral Disc Degeneration / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D046228:Microarray Analysis; D044968:Regenerative Medicine; D015398:Signal Transduction
C116468:IFIT3 protein, human; C515497:IGFBP3 protein, human; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins