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Review
. 2023 Jan 25;24(3):2360.
doi: 10.3390/ijms24032360.

Cytokine Imbalance as a Biomarker of Intervertebral Disk Degeneration

Natalia A Shnayder  1   2 , Azamat V Ashhotov  1 , Vera V Trefilova  3 , Zaitun A Nurgaliev  1 , Maxim A Novitsky  3 , Elena E Vaiman  1 , Marina M Petrova  2 , Regina F Nasyrova  1
Affiliations
Review

Cytokine Imbalance as a Biomarker of Intervertebral Disk Degeneration

Natalia A Shnayder et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

The intervertebral disk degeneration (IDD) and its associated conditions are an important problem in modern medicine. The onset of IDD may be in childhood and adolescence in patients with a genetic predisposition. IDD progresses with age, leading to spondylosis, spondylarthrosis, intervertebral disk herniation, and spinal stenosis. The purpose of this review is an attempt to summarize the data characterizing the patterns of production of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in IDD and to appreciate the prognostic value of cytokine imbalance as its biomarker. This narrative review demonstrates that the problem of evaluating the contribution of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines to the maintenance or alteration of cytokine balance may be a new key to unlocking the mystery of IDD development and new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of IDD in the setting of acute and chronic inflammation. The presented data support the hypothesis that cytokine imbalance is one of the most important biomarkers of IDD.

Keywords: biomarker; chronic inflammation; cytokine status; cytokines; disk degeneration; pathophysiology.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Risk factors of intervertebral disc degeneration.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines in intervertebral disk degeneration (IDD). Note: (+)—relationship between the mechanisms of IDD development; (+/−)—possible relationship between the mechanisms of IDD development.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Mechanisms for modulating the effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines by anti-inflammatory cytokines in intervertebral disk degeneration. Note: IL—interleukin; TNF-α—tumor necrosis factor-alpha, IFN-γ—interferon-gamma; (−)—suppression of pro-inflammation cytokines effect; (+/−)—modulation of pro-inflammation cytokines effect.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Potential role of normal and abnormal cytokine levels in the cytokine imbalance as a biomarker of intervertebral disk degeneration. Note: SNV—single-nucleotide variant; pro—pro-inflammation cytokines; anti—anti-inflammation cytokines. Note: solid line—well-studied mechanisms of IDD development; dotted line—insufficiently studied mechanisms of IDD development; up arrow—increased cytokine level; down arrow—decreased cytokine level; red exclamation point in a yellow hexagon is a dangerous situation.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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