Involvement Of Cathepsin K In The Pathomechanism Of Human Intervertebral Disc Degeneration

Purpose This study was to contrast test the expression of cathepsinK in the cells of normal and degenerative intervertebral disc in humans . further study on cathepsinK in changes relationship of extracellular matrix contents in the human intervertebral disc in physical or pathological condition. And to explore the relationship between cathepsinK and intervertebral disk degeneration. to provide the theory basis for the study of intervertebral disc degeneration mechanism and delay And Treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration .Methods Immunohistochemical S-P method and ELISA methods were used to detect the expression of cathepsinK, in which contains of 30 specimens of intervertebral disc tissues of patients with prolapse of lumber intervertebral disc,and control group consisted of 15 healthy adults(cadaver) and surgical patients with spinal fracture. Specimens of intervertebral disc fed from intraoperative(The cases were from the No 1 department of orthopedics of No. 1 hospital of Shihezi University From March 2006 to April 2007)and fresh cadavers. Degenerative group were chosed from lumbar broken patients ,which were performed MED,normal group which voluntarily donate were chosed from surgical patients due to spinal fracture without disc herniation,and fresh cadaver,specimens from intraoperative by MRI T2 weighted singal, autopsy specimen by pathological examination test reliability of specimens. Every specimen was divided into two parts,one part was fixed in 10% formalin about 24hours and was embedded in paraffin.4μm serial sections was cut and S-P method was used respectively. Cath-K monoclonal antibodies stain the section.Then,experts observed results by OLYMPUS microscope.Another part was changed into well-distributed liquid,which was taken to carry on Elisa method respectively,in order to detect density of Cath-K protein. Finally,using software spss 13.0 for statistical analysis.Results immunohistochemical staining display cath-K was located in cytoplasm. In the experimental group, most of specimens had more cath-K positive cells, positive rate beyond 90%; In the control group, most of specimens had little cath-K positive cells , positive rate less than 20%. in the experiment group was obviously higher than in the control group,there were statistical significance between them(P<0.001); The expression of cath-K in the ELISA experiment group was obviously higher than in the control group.There were statistical significance between them also (P<0.001).Conclusion The cathepsinK may play a role in thepathological process of intervertebral disc degeneration.