Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31768840›Full record

SynthesisEuropean spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society2020

The contradictory effect of macrophage-related cytokine expression in lumbar disc herniations: a systematic review.

N Djuric, G C M Lafeber, C L A Vleggeert-Lankamp

Open access · hybridAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 33 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
33citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.6field-weighted citation impact, top 10% 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

33 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 47 citations in OpenAlex.

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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

3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

N DjuricDepartment of Neurosurgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2300 RC, Leiden, the Netherlands. n.djuric@lumc.nl.ORCID 0000-0002-5556-6955
G C M LafeberDepartment of Neurosurgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2300 RC, Leiden, the Netherlands.
C L A Vleggeert-LankampDepartment of Neurosurgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2300 RC, Leiden, the Netherlands.
Leiden University Medical Center · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeSciatic symptoms due to lumbar disc herniation are likely to be caused not solely by mechanical compression of the nerve root, but also by pain-inducing elements from inflammatory processes. Key components in the inflammatory reaction are M1 and M2 macrophages, with the M1 type being associated with pro-inflammatory processes and M2 with anti-inflammatory-processes.

methodThe present systematic review summarizes all studies on associations between M1 and M2 macrophages and their related inflammation factors and pain symptoms in lumbar disc herniations. Literature search was performed using an optimally sensitive search string. Studies were selected for inclusion by means of predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria and subsequently graded for risk of bias. A total of 14 studies were included. Overall risk of bias was moderate (8/14), and three studies had high risk of bias and three has low risk of bias.

resultsRegarding M1-related cytokines, high levels of TNF-α, TNFR1, IL-6, IL-8, and IFN-γ were all associated high VAS scores. In contrast, high levels of TNFR2 were associated with lower VAS scores. Moreover, no associations were found for IL-1a and IL-1β. Results regarding M2-related cytokines revealed the opposite: high levels of both IL-4 and IL-10 were associated with lower VAS scores. No associations were established for TGF-β. Moreover, the presence of macrophages (CD68) was negatively associated with VAS scores.

conclusionWhile M1-related pro-inflammatory cytokines worsen pain symptoms, M2-related anti-inflammatory cytokines alleviate pain symptoms. Nevertheless, the present evidence is limited, and further research on the underlying pathophysiological mechanism in sciatica is required. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.

Indexed as

Intervertebral Disc DegenerationIntervertebral Disc DisplacementCytokinesHumansMacrophagesSciaticaCytokinesCytokineDiscInflammationMacrophageSciatica

Identifiers

PMID31768840
OpenAlexW2989887762

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

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.