Lumbar disc degeneration (LDD) is characterized by pain in the lumbar region of the spine as a result of a compromised disc. LDD is fairly common and thought to be the result of both environmental and genetic risk factors; however, the genetic factors that promote LDD are largely unknown.
In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation , Danny Chan and colleagues at the University of Hong Kong found mutations that reduced production of carbohydrate sulfotransferase 3 (CHST3) were associated with early-onset LDD. Mutations in families with LDD were mapped to the 3' untranslated region of the CHST3 gene, which contained a microRNA binding site.
The authors determined that LDD-associated mutations in the 3' untranslated region enhanced microRNA binding, resulting in decreased CHST3 expression. Furthermore, patients with early-onset LDD had decreased CHST3 mRNA levels in interevertebral discs.
This study indicates that LDD development can be predicted by decreased CHST3 expression.
TITLE: Lumbar disc degeneration is linked to a carbohydrate sulfotransferase 3 variant
AUTHOR CONTACT: Danny Chan
The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, , CHN
Phone: +852-28199482; Fax: +852-28551254; E-mail: chand@hku.hk
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/69277?key=b9c471a7a29b24516318
Journal of Clinical Investigation