title: Interleukin-23 may contribute to the pathogenesis of lumbar disc herniation through the IL-23/IL-17 pathway.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies have indicated that interleukin 23 (IL-23) plays an important role in many inflammatory- and autoimmune-related diseases. However, there is little knowledge about IL-23 in lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Thus, in this study, we aimed to find out whether IL-23 is expressed in intervertebral discs (IVDs) and what roles it may play.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human IVD tissues were collected from 29 LDH patients and 8 vertebral fracture patients (normal control, NC group). According to the integrity of annulus fibrosus, LDH patients were divided into two groups: R group (ruptured group, n = 16) and NR group (non-ruptured group, n = 13). Morphological changes of IVDs were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE staining), and expression of IL-23 in IVD tissues was detected by immunohistochemical staining. Besides gene expression of IL-23, IL-17, IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α was also evaluated by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that the R group was more degenerated than the other two groups and NC group showed the least degenerated performance; stronger positive IL-23 expression was observed in herniated IVDs, especially in the R group. Meanwhile, higher gene expression of IL-23, IL-17, IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α was found in the tissues from LDH patients and a positive correlation between IL-17 and IL-23 gene expression was also observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Taken all above results together, it may be deduced that higher expression of IL-23 may contribute to the deterioration of IVDs through the IL-23/IL-17 pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, No. 154, Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, China. intervertebral@163.com.
authors.forename: Hongqiang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Tianjin Orthopedics Institute, No.155, Munan Road,Heping District, Tianjin, 300050, China. kaiernigezheng@sina.com.
authors.forename: Yao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Tianjin Orthopedics Institute, No.155, Munan Road,Heping District, Tianjin, 300050, China. 13388065607@163.com.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Tianjin Orthopedics Institute, No.155, Munan Road,Heping District, Tianjin, 300050, China. nanfeng@163.com.
authors.forename: Jianxiong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Tianjin Orthopedics Institute, No.155, Munan Road,Heping District, Tianjin, 300050, China. tianyiguke521@163.com.
authors.forename: Pengfei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Tianjin Orthopedics Institute, No.155, Munan Road,Heping District, Tianjin, 300050, China. xiutadiaomeng@sina.com.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Tianjin Orthopedics Institute, No.155, Munan Road,Heping District, Tianjin, 300050, China. lovewalker@163.com.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, No. 154, Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, China. orthspine@163.com.|Tianjin Orthopedics Institute, No.155, Munan Road,Heping District, Tianjin, 300050, China. orthspine@163.com.
authors.forename: Xinlong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D053759:Interleukin-23 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D020381:Interleukin-17; D053759:Interleukin-23; D012333:RNA, Messenger