Changes in Elements and Relationships among Elements in Intervertebral Disc Degeneration

Rafał Staszkiewicz, Kamil Bryś, Dorian Gładysz, Marcin Gralewski, Michał Garczarek, Marcin Gadzieliński, Jerzy Wieczorek, Wiesław Marcol, Aleksander Ostenda and Beniamin Oskar Grabarek
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Rafał Staszkiewicz: Department of Neurosurgery, 5th Military Clinical Hospital with the SP ZOZ Polyclinic in Krakow, 30-901 Krakow, Poland
Kamil Bryś: Department of Histology, Cytophysiology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine in Zabrze, Academy of Silesia in Katowice, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
Dorian Gładysz: Department of Neurosurgery, 5th Military Clinical Hospital with the SP ZOZ Polyclinic in Krakow, 30-901 Krakow, Poland
Marcin Gralewski: Department of Neurosurgery, 5th Military Clinical Hospital with the SP ZOZ Polyclinic in Krakow, 30-901 Krakow, Poland
Michał Garczarek: Department of Neurosurgery, 5th Military Clinical Hospital with the SP ZOZ Polyclinic in Krakow, 30-901 Krakow, Poland
Marcin Gadzieliński: Department of Neurosurgery, 5th Military Clinical Hospital with the SP ZOZ Polyclinic in Krakow, 30-901 Krakow, Poland
Jerzy Wieczorek: Department of Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry, University of Agriculture in Krakow, 31-120 Krakow, Poland
Wiesław Marcol: Department of Physiology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
Aleksander Ostenda: Faculty of Medicine in Zabrze, Academy of Silesia in Katowice, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
Beniamin Oskar Grabarek: Department of Neurosurgery, 5th Military Clinical Hospital with the SP ZOZ Polyclinic in Krakow, 30-901 Krakow, Poland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 15, 1-18

Abstract: Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a complex and progressive process of disc aging. One of the most important causes of changes in the internal environment, leading to IVDD, can be changes in the concentration of individual metal elements. This study aimed to analyze the concentrations of copper, iron, manganese, lead, zinc, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, and calcium in the degenerated intervertebral discs of the lumbosacral spine, compared to healthy intervertebral discs. The study group (S) consisted of 113 Caucasian patients, qualified by a specialist surgeon for IVDD of the lumbosacral spine. The control group (C) consisted of 81 individuals. The biological material was obtained from Caucasian human cadavers during post-mortem examination. The concentrations of individual elements were assessed using inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Statistically significant differences in the concentrations of microelements, depending on the degree of pain intensity, were noted for only potassium ( p < 0.05). Statistically significant differences in the concentrations of the assessed microelements, depending on the degree of radiological advancement of the lesions, were noted for copper and iron ( p < 0.05). In the degenerated intervertebral discs, the strongest relationships were noted between the concentrations of zinc and lead ( r = 0.67; p < 0.05), zinc and phosphorus ( r = 0.74; p < 0.05), and zinc and calcium ( r = 0.77; p < 0.05). It has been indicated that, above all, the concentrations of copper and iron depend on the advancement of radiological changes, according to the Pfirrmann scale; however, no influence on the pain intensity, depending on the concentration of the assessed elements, was found.

Keywords: intervertebral disc degeneration; Pfirrmann scale; VAS; microelements; spine (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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