J Korean Soc Spine Surg.  2003 Sep;10(3):209-216. 10.4184/jkss.2003.10.3.209.

Molecular Biological and Pathological Aspects of Intercostal Muscles and Intervertebral Discs in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis in Korea

• Kim HS
• Kwon OR
• Moon SH
• Kim KH
• Kim H
• Kwon UH
• Lee HM
• Park JO
• Shin DE
• Ha JW
• Shim CG

• KMID: 2209688
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4184/jkss.2003.10.3.209

Abstract

STUDY DESIGN: A molecular biological study of intercostal muscles and intervertebral disc cells of Korean scoliosis patients.
OBJECTIVES
To study the pathological results of intercostal muscles and molecular biological activity of intervertebral disc cells of the scoliotic major curve in Korean patients. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW : The cause of idiopathic scoliosis has been investigated in terms of many parameters. Although, molecular biological studies of intercostal muscles and intervertebral disc cells have been performed in foreign countries, few studies have been conducted in Korea.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Ten patients, one male and nine female, who underwent thoracoscopic surgery were reviewed. The age range was 13 to 23 years old. Intercostal muscles were taken from the portal site of the major curve (1x1 cm sized). Ten tissues were stained with H/E and ATPase immunohistochemical staining. An appropriate amount of intervertebral disc was taken from the major curve of three scoliotic patients and each concentration of collagen type I, II, GAG gene and proteoglycan synthesis activity was measured. The results were compared with those of grade 0 and grade II degenerative change on each MRI.
RESULTS
The intercostal muscle of scoliotic patients showed 60.4+/-8.4% in type I muscle fiber and 39.6+/-8.8% in type II-A. These results were not different from those of previous studies. The size of muscle fiber was 48-65 microns, which was slightly smaller than the absolute value, but the difference was not statistically significant. The amount of produced proteoglycans was slightly higher in the intervertebral disc cells of scoliotic patients, the total amount of collagen was significantly lower and there was a difference in the production of type II collagen.
CONCLUSIONS
The intercostal muscles were not affected by the muscle of scoliotic patients and there was no molecular biological significant difference between control and scoliotic patients. We can assume that scoliosis was not caused by problems of intervertebral disc or intercostal muscles.

Keyword

Intercostal muscle; Intervertebral disc cell; Molecular biology

MeSH Terms

Adenosine Triphosphatases
Adolescent*
Collagen
Collagen Type I
Collagen Type II
Female
Genes, gag
Humans
Intercostal Muscles*
Intervertebral Disc*
Korea*
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Molecular Biology
Proteoglycans
Scoliosis*
Thoracoscopy
Young Adult
Adenosine Triphosphatases
Collagen
Collagen Type I
Collagen Type II
Proteoglycans

Figure

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  Fig. 1. (A) Biopsy was always taken from the convex side of the apex. (B) H/E stain, (C) NADH stain, (D) Myofilament ATPase, preincubation at PH 9.5× 100.

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  Fig. 2. (A) The nucleus pulposus cells were harvested during the thoracoscopic diskectomy. (B) The nucleus pulposus cells were seeded at the low density have similar polygonal round shape, before attach. (C) The nucleus pulposus cells were attached at the plate as a monolayer. (D) RT-PCR and 35SPG synthesis measure wer performed.

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  Fig. 3. Content of the newly expressed collagen type I RNA over the duration of culture. Scoliotic nucleus cells expressed slightly more collagen type I RNA.

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  Fig. 4. Content of the newly expressed collagen type II RNA over the duration of culture. There is no significant different among each other groups.

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  Fig. 5. Content of the newly expressed aggrecan RNA over the duration of culture. There is slightly increased expression of RNA in scoliotic group.

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  Fig. 6. Content of the newly synthesized proteoglycan over the duration of culture. The synthesis of proteoglycan were similar to those of degenerated disc cells and scoliotic disc cells.

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