The Potential Role of Cytokines in Diabetic Intervertebral Disc Degeneration

Sunlong Li; Chongan Huang; Jian Xiao; Yuhao Wu; Zengjie Zhang; Yifei Zhou; Naifeng Tian; Yaosen Wu; Xiangyang Wang; Xiaolei Zhang

doi:10.14336/AD.2022.0129

The Potential Role of Cytokines in Diabetic Intervertebral Disc Degeneration

Aging Dis. 2022 Oct 1;13(5):1323-1335. doi: 10.14336/AD.2022.0129.

Authors

Sunlong Li^#^{1

2

3}, Chongan Huang^#^{1

2

3}, Jian Xiao^{1

2

3}, Yuhao Wu^{1

2

3}, Zengjie Zhang^{4

5

6}, Yifei Zhou^{1

2

3}, Naifeng Tian^{1

2

3}, Yaosen Wu^{1

2

3}, Xiangyang Wang^{1

2

3}, Xiaolei Zhang^{1

2

3

7}

Affiliations

¹ 1Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
² 2Key Laboratory of Orthopaedics of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
³ 3The Second School of Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
⁴ 5Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
⁵ 6Orthopedics Research Institute of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
⁶ 7Key Laboratory of Motor System Disease Research and Precision Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
⁷ 4Chinese Orthopaedic Regenerative Medicine Society, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a major cause of low back pain. Diabetes mellitus is a chronic inflammatory disease that may cause or aggravate IVDD; however, the mechanism by which diabetes induce IVDD is currently unclear. Compared to non-diabetic individuals, diabetic patients have higher levels of plasma cytokines, especially TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-10, and IL-18. Due to the crucial role of cytokines in the process of intervertebral disc degeneration, we hypothesized that elevation of these cytokines in plasma of diabetic patients may be involved in the process of diabetes-induced IVDD. In this review, changes in plasma cytokine levels in diabetic patients were summarized and the potential role of elevated cytokines in diabetes-induced IVDD was discussed. Results showed that some cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-1β may accelerate the development of IVDD, while others such as IL-10 is supposed to prevent its development. Apoptosis, senescence, and extracellular matrix metabolism were found to be regulated by these cytokines in IVDD. Further studies are required to validate the cytokines targeted strategy for diabetic IVDD therapy.

Keywords: Diabetes; cytokines; intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD).