Fas及其配体在腰椎间盘组织中的表达及意义

The expression of Fas and Fas ligand in human intervertebral disc

目的了解Fas与FasL在正常椎间盘及椎间盘突出症患者椎间盘组织中的表达情况。方法收集20例腰椎间盘突出症患者的椎间盘组织(破裂型与非破裂型各10例)及8例脑死亡者的正常椎间盘组织,通过免疫组织化学观察FasL,Fas的表达情况。结果正常髓核组织中仅有FasL的表达,突出的椎间盘组织中存在FasL,Fas的表达,而且表达程度在正常组与腰椎间盘突出症患者组之间差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论正常髓核组织中存在FasL的表达,提示FasL是使髓核组织产生免疫豁免效应的一个重要因素。当椎间盘突出时(纤维环破裂),则会在局部激发炎症反应,引起髓核细胞凋亡,而髓核细胞通过自分泌或旁分泌途径导致FasL表达增高是可能的机制之一。

Objective To clarify the existence of Fas ligand on intact intervertebral disc cells and herniated lumbar disc tissues. Methods Twenty herniated lumbar disc tissues （contained disc, n= 10; noncontained disc, n =10） and eight normal human disc tissues were examined. Immunohistochemical staining of these discs for Fas and FasL was performed by standard procedures. Results The result confirmed the existence of Fas ligand in normal and herniated disc tissues, but Fas was expressed only in herniated disc tissues. A higher degree of FasL expression in herniated disc cells was found in herniated discs than in normal discs （P〈0.05）. Conclusion We demonstrated the existence of Fas ligand on normal disc cells, which should play a key role in the potential molecular mechanism to maintain immune privilege of the disc. But after herniation, with inflammatory reaction and apoptotic cell death, the expression of FasL increased via autocrine or paracrine mechanisms of the disc cells. That may be one of the mechanisms.