RESUMO
AIM: The etiology of intervertebral disc degeneration is still vague and both genetic and environmental factors are assumed as the main causes. One of the proposed genetic factors is the polymorphism of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) genes. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between two polymorphisms (MMP-1-755 T/G [rs498186] and MMP-3 A/C [rs632478]) and disc degeneration. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a case-control study on 130 cases with intervertebral disc degeneration confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 210 healthy individuals. The Schneiderman criterion was used to determine the severity of the disc degeneration. Blood samples were collected from the participants. The genotyping was performed by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Odds ratios and 95% CIs were determined as measures of the strength of association between genotypes and disc degeneration. RESULTS: The most frequent intervertebral disc degeneration was observed in age range of 31-40 years (43.2%). A significant association was found between the MMP-3 polymorphism and disc degeneration (p < 0.001). The homozygote CC was associated with an increased risk of disc degeneration compared with the AA genotype (OR=5.25; 95%CI=2.82-9.77, p < 0.001). We did not find any significant association of the MMP-1 polymorphism with disc degeneration (p=0.95). CONCLUSION: The MMP-3 [rs632478] polymorphism may contribute to susceptibility to disc degeneration. To confirm our findings, additional well-designed studies in diverse ethnic populations are required.
