Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25069717›Full record

ArticleArthritis research & therapy2014

Increase of nerve growth factor levels in the human herniated intervertebral disc: can annular rupture trigger discogenic back pain?

Yasuchika Aoki, Arata Nakajima, Seiji Ohtori, Hiroshi Takahashi, Fusako Watanabe, Masato Sonobe, Fumiaki Terajima, Masahiko Saito, Kazuhisa Takahashi, Tomoaki Toyone and 4 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Arthritis research & therapy, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
24citing papers in PubMed
1.9field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

24 citing papers in PubMed, 46 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Stress-response exhaustion in intervertebral disc degeneration.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2026
    Review
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) Inhibitors and Related Agents for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Comprehensive Review.BioDrugs : clinical immunotherapeutics, biopharmaceuticals and gene therapy · 2021
    Review
  12. Article
  13. Observational
  14. Intervertebral Disc-on-a-Chip as AdvancedFrontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2021
    Review
  15. Article
  16. Review
  17. Review
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Yasuchika Aoki
Arata Nakajima
Seiji Ohtori
Hiroshi Takahashi
Fusako Watanabe
Masato Sonobe
Fumiaki Terajima
Masahiko Saito
Kazuhisa Takahashi
Tomoaki Toyone
Atsuya Watanabe
Takayuki Nakajima
Makoto Takazawa
Koichi Nakagawa
Toho University Medical Center Sakura Hospital · JPTeikyo University Chiba Medical Center · JPChiba University · JPToho University · JP

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionNerve growth factor (NGF) has an important role in the generation of discogenic pain. We hypothesized that annular rupture is a trigger for discogenic pain through the action of NGF. In this study, the protein levels of NGF in discs from patients with disc herniation were examined and compared with those from discs of patients with other lumbar degenerative disc diseases.

methodsPatients (n = 55) with lumbar degenerative disc disease treated by surgery were included. Nucleus pulposus tissue (or herniated disc tissue) was surgically removed and homogenized; protein levels were quantified using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for NGF. Levels of NGF in the discs were compared between 1) patients with herniated discs (herniated group) and those with other lumbar degenerative disc diseases (non-herniated group), and 2) low-grade and high-grade degenerated discs. Patient's symptoms were assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS) and the Oswestry disability index (ODI); the influence of NGF levels on pre- and post-operative symptoms was examined.

resultsMean levels of NGF in discs of patients were significantly higher in herniated discs (83.4 pg/mg total protein) than those in non-herniated discs (68.4 pg/mg).

conclusionsThis study reports that NGF increased in herniated discs, and may play an important role in the generation of discogenic pain. Analysis of patient symptoms revealed that pre-operative NGF levels were related to post-operative residual lower extremity pain and LBP in motion. The results suggest that NGF in the disc is related to pain generation, however, the impact of NGF on generation of LBP varies in individual patients.

Indexed as

AdultAgedEnzyme-Linked Immunosorbent AssayFemaleHumansIntervertebral Disc DegenerationIntervertebral Disc DisplacementLow Back PainLumbar VertebraeMaleMiddle AgedNerve Growth FactorPain MeasurementNerve Growth Factor

Identifiers

PMID25069717
PMCPMC4261264
OpenAlexW2097463643

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.