Effect of Glycemic Disorders and Habits on the Concentration of Selected Neurotrophic Factors in Patients with Lumbosacral Intervertebral Disc Degeneration

Rafał Staszkiewicz; Dawid Sobański; Kamil Bryś; Waldemar Och; Michał Garczarek; Uladzislau Ulasavets; Michał Stasiowski; Werner Dammermann; Damian Strojny; Beniamin Oskar Grabarek

doi:10.2174/0113892010262904230919073351

Effect of Glycemic Disorders and Habits on the Concentration of Selected Neurotrophic Factors in Patients with Lumbosacral Intervertebral Disc Degeneration

Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2023 Sep 28. doi: 10.2174/0113892010262904230919073351. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Rafał Staszkiewicz^{1

2

3}, Dawid Sobański^{1

3}, Kamil Bryś⁴, Waldemar Och⁵, Michał Garczarek⁶, Uladzislau Ulasavets⁶, Michał Stasiowski⁷, Werner Dammermann⁸, Damian Strojny⁹, Beniamin Oskar Grabarek¹⁰

Affiliations

¹ Department of Histology, Cytophysiology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine in Zabrze, Academy of Silesia, 40-055 Katowice, Poland.
² Department of Neurosurgery, 5th Military Clinical Hospital with the SP ZOZ Polyclinic in Krakow, 30-901 Krakow, Poland.
³ Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine in Zabrze, Academy of Silesia, 40-055 Katowice, Poland.
⁴ Katowice School of Technology department of Histology, Cytophysiology and Embryology Katowice Poland.
⁵ Regional Specialist Hospital Neurosurgery Department olsztyn Poland.
⁶ 5th Military Clinical Hospital with the SP ZOZ Polyclinic in Krakow Department of Neurosurgery krakow Poland.
⁷ Medical University of Silesia Department of Emergency Medicine Katowice Poland.
⁸ Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane Center of Internal Medicine II branderburg Germany.
⁹ Institute of Health Protection, State Academy of Applied Sciences in Przemyśl, 37-700 Przemyśl, Poland.
¹⁰ Department of Neurosurgery, 5th Military Clinical Hospital with the SP ZOZ Polyclinic in Cracow, 30-901, Cracow, Poland.

PMID: 37888810
DOI: 10.2174/0113892010262904230919073351

Abstract

Background: Unhealthy habits, such as overeating processed and high-calorie foods, alcohol abuse, and smoking, negatively impact human health. It has been suggested that the inflammatory process and the resulting growth of nerve fibers within the intervertebral disc (IVD) fissures is the main reason for the pain accompanying IVD degeneration (IVDD).

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine whether smoking, alcohol consumption, overweight/obesity, or diabetes comorbidity contribute to the development of IVDD and how the aforementioned factors affect the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), and growth associated protein 43 (GAP-43) in the study and control groups (intervertebral discs, IVDs from cadavers, and serum samples from voluntary blood donors).

Methods: The study group comprised 113 patients diagnosed with IVDD who qualified for microdiscectomy. Two control groups (I and II) were used in this study. The first included 81 IVDs obtained from Caucasian human cadavers. Control group II, on the other hand, included serum samples obtained from 113 voluntary blood donors. The expression profiles of BDNF, GDNF, and GAP-43 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Results: Our statistical analysis confirmed that patients who were overweight/obese, smoked tobacco, consumed alcohol, or had diabetes had a higher risk of IVDD (OR > 1). Statistical analysis showed that BDNF, GAP-43, and GDNF concentrations were significantly higher in the IVDs and serum samples obtained from the study group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). In addition, higher levels of BDNF, GDNF, and GAP-43 were noted in IVDD patients who consumed alcohol, smoked tobacco, were overweight/obese, or had comorbid diabetes compared to patients without these risk factors (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: We showed that changes in energy metabolism, habits, and lifestyle, as well as the degenerative process of IVD in the lumbosacral spine contribute to changing the concentration profile of the analyzed neurotrophic factors.

Keywords: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; diabetes; glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor; growth-associated protein 43; lifestyle; voluntary blood donors..