J Korean Neurosurg Soc.  2006 Jun;39(6):432-437.

Disparity between MR Imaging and Histochemical Grading in Human Intervertebral Disc Degeneration

• Lee JH
• Chung CK
• Kim HJ

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
In order to establish the index of degeneration, the authors performed a histochemical study with Safranin-O staining and investigated the occurrence of apoptosis in the human intervertebral disc.
METHODS
Eighteen intervertebral disc specimens surgically extracted from the patients and two additional specimens from the autopsied cases were stained with Safranin-O for proteoglycan according to a standard protocol. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end labeling(TUNEL) was used to detect the fragmented DNA known to be associated with apoptotic cell death and classification scheme was formulated for categorization of the degree of Safranin-O staining (normal, moderate reduction, faint) by modification of Makin's histological-histochemical grading. The Kruskal-Wallis H test and Chi-square test were used for statistical analysis.
RESULTS
The statistical results showed a significant difference in the mean age between "normal" Safranin-O staining group and the others (19.3 versus 55, 43.4, p=0.021). However, there was no statistically significant correlation between Safranin-O staining and MR grading of disc degeneration. Only six of eighteen surgical specimens and none in autopsies showed positive apoptotic cells in TUNEL staining.
CONCLUSION
The determination of the degree of degeneration in surgically obtained disc tissue per se by histochemical staining or by the degree of apoptosis that corresponds to its morphologic change was not feasible.

Keyword

Disc degeneration; Histochemical grading; Safranin O; Apoptosis

MeSH Terms

Apoptosis
Autopsy
Cell Death
Classification
Deoxyuridine
DNA
Humans*
In Situ Nick-End Labeling
Intervertebral Disc Degeneration*
Intervertebral Disc*
Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
Proteoglycans
DNA
Deoxyuridine
Proteoglycans