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Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery - British Volume, Vol 83-B, Issue 4, 491-495.
doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.83B4.11617  
Copyright © 2001 by British Editorial Society of Bone and Joint Surgery
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The association of degeneration of the intervertebral disc with 5a/6a polymorphism in the promoter of the human matrix metalloproteinase-3 gene

M. Takahashi, MD, Postgraduate Student1; H. Haro, MD, Associated Professor2; Y. Wakabayashi, MD, Postgraduate Student1; T. Kawa-uchi, MD, Assistant Professor1; H. Komori, MD, Associated Professor1; and K. Shinomiya, MD, Professor and Chairman1

1 Section of Orthopaedic and Spinal Surgery, Department of Frontier Surgical Therapeutics, Division of Advanced Therapeutic Sciences, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyoku, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan.
2 Division of Locomotor Molecular Degeneration Research, Human Genes and Science Centre, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyoku, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan.

Correspondence should be sent to Dr M. Takahashi.

It has been suggested that matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3, stromelysin-1) has an important role in the degeneration of intervertebral discs (IVDs). A human MMP-3 promoter 5A/6A polymorphism was reported to be involved in the regulation of MMP-3 gene expression. We suggest that IVD degeneration is associated with 5A/6A polymorphism.

We studied 54 young and 49 elderly Japanese subjects. Degeneration of the lumbar discs was graded using MRI in the younger group and by radiography in the elderly. 5A/6A polymorphism was determined by polymerase-chain reaction-based assays. We found that the 5A5A and 5A6A genotype in the elderly was associated with a significantly larger number of degenerative IVDs than the 6A6A (p < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in the young. In the elderly, the IVD degenerative scores were also distributed more highly in the 5A5A and 5A6A genotypes (p = 0.0029).

Our findings indicate that the 5A allele is a possible risk factor for the acceleration of degenerative changes in the lumbar disc in the elderly.






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Hip, Knee, Trauma, Upper limb, Foot & Ankle, Paediatrics, Oncology, Spine, Arthroplasty, General