keratan-sulfate and Spinal-Diseases

A review of the literature.. To investigate the potential of serum levels of keratan sulfate as a biomarker of the effects of loading of the spine.. Exposure to mechanical loading of the spine causes changes in metabolism of intervertebral discs, eventually leading to accelerated disc degeneration. This process is characterized by the degradation of proteoglycans, which is reflected by an increase in the blood level of proteoglycan components. The serum level of keratan sulfate, an epitope present on these proteoglycan components, has been suggested as a marker of changes in metabolism of cartilaginous tissues.. A review of the literature on serum keratan sulfate levels in relation to degenerative changes in cartilaginous tissue.. In a number of studies keratan sulfate in serum was reported to be related to degeneration of articular cartilage in patients with osteoarthritis. In addition, massive and rapid degradation of intervertebral discs was determined to result in a large rise in serum keratan sulfate levels. Whether degenerative changes of intervertebral discs induced by mechanical stress also cause a detectable increase in serum keratan sulfate should be subjected to further investigation.. Quantification of keratan sulfate in serum offers a promising measure for the early effects of mechanical loading of the spine, but research is needed for validation.

Topics: Biomarkers; Biomechanical Phenomena; Cartilage, Articular; Humans; Intervertebral Disc; Keratan Sulfate; Osteoarthritis; Spinal Diseases; Stress, Mechanical

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aging; Animals; Child, Preschool; Chondroitin Sulfates; Collagen; Elastin; Glycoproteins; Glycosides; Humans; Hydroxylysine; Intervertebral Disc; Keratan Sulfate; Male; Middle Aged; Molecular Weight; Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Peptide Fragments; Proteoglycans; Species Specificity; Spinal Diseases; Swine

Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is effective in decelerating disc degeneration in small animals; much remains unknown about this new therapy in larger animals or humans. Fas-ligand (FasL), which is only found in tissues with isolated immune privilege, is expressed in IVDs, particularly in the nucleus pulposus (NP). Maintaining the FasL level is important for IVD function. This study evaluated whether MSC transplantation has an effect on the suppression of disc degeneration and preservation of immune privilege in a canine model of disc degeneration. Mature beagles were separated into a normal control group (NC), a MSC group, and the disc degeneration (nucleotomy-only) group. In the MSC group, 4 weeks after nucleotomy, MSCs were transplanted into the degeneration-induced discs. The animals were followed for 12 weeks after the initial operation. Subsequently, radiological, histological, biochemical, immunohistochemical, and RT-PCR analyses were performed. MSC transplantation effectively led to the regeneration of degenerated discs. FACS and RT-PCR analyses of MSCs before transplantation demonstrated that the MSCs expressed FasL at the genetic level, not at the protein level. GFP-positive MSCs detected in the NP region 8 weeks after transplantation expressed FasL protein. The results of this study suggest that MSC transplantation may contribute to the maintenance of IVD immune privilege by the differentiation of transplanted MSCs into cells expressing FasL.

Topics: Animals; Cell Survival; Dogs; Fas Ligand Protein; fas Receptor; Immunohistochemistry; Intervertebral Disc; Keratan Sulfate; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; Radiography; Regeneration; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger; Spinal Diseases