ArticleFrontiers in neurology2025
Elemental imbalance and oxidative biomarker shifts in lumbar disc degeneration.
Article in Frontiers in neurology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Dietary inadequacies and their association with pain severity and disc degeneration in patients surgically treated for degenerative lumbosacral spine disorders.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Revisiting intervertebral disc degeneration: lipid metabolism disorders as overlooked contributors to complex pathology.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
- Redox-associated gene and microRNA signatures in degenerative intervertebral disc disease.Molecular painArticle
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Authors and funding
13 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
Introduction: The pathogenesis of intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) involves multifactorial biochemical and metabolic disturbances; however, the contribution of trace elements and oxidative stress to this process remains insufficiently characterized. Understanding alterations in elemental composition and redox homeostasis within degenerated discs may reveal novel aspects of IVDD biology and potential therapeutic targets. Methods: This study analyzed lumbar intervertebral disc (IVD) tissue obtained from 200 patients undergoing microdiscectomy for lumbosacral IVDD and 100 postmortem controls without disc degeneration. The concentrations of zinc (Zn), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), sodium (Na), and potassium (K) were quantified using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Oxidative stress status was assessed by measuring thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs; nmol MDA/mg protein), reduced glutathione (GSH; μmol/g tissue), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx; U/mg protein). Elemental concentrations were analyzed in relation to Pfirrmann degeneration grade, body mass index (BMI), and pain severity. Results: Degenerated discs exhibited significantly higher concentrations of Zn (35.10 ± 22.00 vs. 22.30 ± 14.00 mg/kg, Discussion: These findings reveal substantial alterations in the micro- and macronutrient composition of degenerated IVDs, particularly for Zn, Mg, Ca, and P, suggesting that metabolic dysregulation and mineral imbalance contribute to disc pathology. The observed oxidative stress profile, characterized by lipid peroxidation and compensatory GPx activation, supports the involvement of redox imbalance in IVDD progression. Together, these results underscore the interplay between mineral homeostasis, oxidative stress, and disc degeneration, providing potential avenues for biomarker development and metabolic intervention in IVDD management.
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