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. 2022 May 12;4(3):100270. doi: 10.1016/j.ocarto.2022.100270

Table 2.

Associations between biomarkers and lumbar spine radiographic degeneration regardless of the presence of low back pain (structural change) and lumbar spine degeneration with low back pain (structural change and symptoms).

Osteophytes Present vs Absent
Osteophytes and LBP Present vs Absent
Disc Space Narrowing Present vs Absent
Disc Space Narrowing and LBP Present vs Absent
Facet Joint Osteoarthritis Present vs Absent
Facet Joint Osteoarthritis and LBP Present vs Absent
LBP Present vs Absent
Odds Ratio (95% CI) Odds Ratio (95% CI) Odds Ratio (95% CI) Odds Ratio (95% CI) Odds Ratio (95% CI) Odds Ratio (95% CI) Odds Ratio (95% CI)
Biomarkers
Structural
 N-cadherin, ng/ml 1.61 (0.58–4.43) 0.90 (0.37–2.19) 0.86 (0.37–2.01) 1.24 (0.49–3.11) 1.37 (0.56–3.36) 0.90 (0.36–2.24) 1.10 (0.49–2.45)
 Lumican, ng/ml 0.33 (0.10–1.07) 1.41 (0.48–4.12) 0.45 (0.16–1.29) 1.63 (0.54–4.93) 1.42 (0.45–4.48) 2.08 (0.68–6.39) 1.91 (0.72–5.09)
 CTX-II, ng/mmol 1.20 (0.88–1.63) 0.98 (0.76–1.27) 1.39 (1.071.80) 0.95 (0.73–1.25) 1.03 (0.78–1.36) 0.96 (0.73–1.25) 1.04 (0.82–1.31)
Inflammation
 OPG, pg/ml 1.98 (1.173.35) 1.66 (1.052.63) 1.80 (1.162.78) 1.47 (0.89–2.41) 0.62 (0.380.99) 1.82 (1.152.89) 1.66 (1.102.51)
 CXCL6, pg/ml 0.99 (0.62–1.59) 1.45 (0.95–2.22) 1.05 (0.70–1.59) 1.31 (0.83–2.07) 1.09 (0.70–1.69) 2.07 (1.303.28) 1.61 (1.082.39)
 RANTES, pg/ml 1.83 (1.152.90) 1.27 (0.85–1.88) 1.05 (0.71–1.56) 1.17 (0.76–1.79) 1.26 (0.84–1.90) 1.39 (0.93–2.07) 1.24 (0.86–1.78)
 IL-6, pg/ml 0.86 (0.65–1.13) 1.24 (0.96–1.62) 0.87 (0.68–1.11) 1.13 (0.84–1.51) 0.99 (0.76–1.28) 1.09 (0.85–1.40) 1.23 (0.98–1.54)
 HA, pg/ml 0.89 (0.65–1.23) 1.04 (0.79–1.37) 1.06 (0.80–1.39) 1.17 (0.87–1.58) 1.54 (1.142.08) 1.08 (0.82–1.43) 1.08 (0.84–1.39)
Pain/Stress
 BDNF, pg/ml 0.65 (0.31–1.39) 1.18 (0.64–2.20) 0.71 (0.38–1.32) 0.66 (0.32–1.35) 0.49 (0.260.95) 1.21 (0.64–2.28) 1.06 (0.59–1.88)
 NPY, pg/ml 0.99 (0.55–1.79) 1.10 (0.67–1.83) 0.88 (0.54–1.46) 0.94 (0.55–1.61) 0.90 (0.53–1.52) 1.13 (0.68–1.87) 1.02 (0.65–1.61)
PPT, ≤4 ​kg vs ​> ​4 ​kg 0.77 (0.49–1.20) 2.17 (1.453.22) 0.75 (0.50–1.10) 2.33 (1.543.57) 1.05 (0.68–1.64) 2.56 (1.693.85) 1.89 (1.492.44)

Bold values indicate statistical significance. All models include age, race, sex, knee osteoarthritis, depressive symptoms, pressure-pain threshold (PPT), and body mass index.

∗Also adjusted for facet joint osteoarthritis. ∗∗Also adjusted for osteophytes and disc space narrowing.

LBP ​= ​low back pain; CTX-II ​= ​type II collagen; OPG ​= ​osteoprotegerin; CXCL6 ​= ​C-X-C Motif Chemokine Ligand 6; RANTES ​= ​C–C Motif Chemokine Ligand 5; IL-6 ​= ​interleukin-6; HA ​= ​hyaluronic acid; BDNF ​= ​brain derived neurotrophic factor; NPY ​= ​neuropeptide-Y.