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The alpha2 type IX collagen tryptophan polymorphism is associated with the severity of disc degeneration in younger patients with herniated nucleus pulposus of the lumbar spine

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Abstract

Tryptophan alleles in COL9A2 (Trp2) and COL9A3 (Trp3) have been linked to lumbar disc diseases in the Finnish population. Although such diseases consist of various pathogenetically different conditions, detailed analysis of each has not been well documented. The aim of this study was to clarify whether the collagen IX tryptophan alleles influence the symptomatic degeneration of the lumbar disc in Japanese patients with herniated nucleus pulposus. We performed a prospective study of 84 patients who underwent lumbar discectomy. The degree of disc degeneration was evaluated by magnetic resonance images in relation to the collagen IX genotype. Twenty patients (21.4%) had the Trp2 allele and no patients had the Trp3 allele. Patients under 40 years with the Trp2 allele showed more severe disc degeneration at the surgical level than did those without the Trp2 allele (odds ratio 6.00, P=0.043). In contrast, patients aged 40 years or over did not show significant association between disc degeneration and collagen IX genotype. Our results suggest that the Trp2 allele is an age-dependent risk factor for the severity of disc degeneration in younger patients with symptomatic herniated nucleus pulposus of the lumbar spine.

Résumé

Les allèles tryptophane COL9A2 (Trp2) et COL9A3 (Trp3) ont été chainés à la pathologie discale dans la population finlandaise. Bien que cette pathologie reconnaisse des pathogénies bien différentes, l’analyse détaillée de chacune n’a pas été faite. Le but de cette étude était de clarifier si l’allèle tryptophane du collagène IX influençait la dégénérescence du disque lombaire chez les patients japonais porteurs de hernie discale. Le degré de dégénérescence discale était apprécié par IRM en relation avec leur génotype du collagène IX. Vingt patients (21,4%) avaient l’allèle Trp2 et aucun n’avait le Trp3. Les patients de moins de quarante ans avec le Trp2 avaient une dégénérescence discale plus marquée au niveau opéré que ceux sans l’allèle (odds ratio 6.00, p=0,043). En revanche les patients de plus de quarante ans ne montraient pas d’association entre la dégénérescence et le génotype du collagène IX. Nos résultats suggèrent que l’allèle Trp2 est un facteur de risque âge-dépendant pour l’importance de la dégénérescence discale chez les jeunes patients avec un hernie discale lombaire symptomatique.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported, in part, by grants from the Japan Orthopedics and Traumatology Foundation (grant no. 0142), the Japan Society for Promotion of Science (grant no. 16591496), the Uehara Memorial Foundation, and the Nakatomi Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopedics, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan

    K. Higashino, Y. Takata, T. Goto, T. Sakai, S. Katoh & N. Yasui

  2. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Osaka University Medical School, 2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan

    Y. Matsui

  3. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Takamatsu Red Cross Hospital, Takamatsu, Japan

    S. Yagi

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  1. K. Higashino
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  2. Y. Matsui
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  3. S. Yagi
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  4. Y. Takata
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  5. T. Goto
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  6. T. Sakai
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  7. S. Katoh
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  8. N. Yasui
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Correspondence to Y. Matsui.

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Higashino, K., Matsui, Y., Yagi, S. et al. The alpha2 type IX collagen tryptophan polymorphism is associated with the severity of disc degeneration in younger patients with herniated nucleus pulposus of the lumbar spine. International Orthopaedics (SICO 31, 107–111 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-006-0117-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-006-0117-8

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