Turkish Neurosurgery 2022 , Vol 32 , Num 1
Evaluation of BMP-2, VEGF, and Vitamin D Receptor Levels in the Ligamentum Flavum of Patients with Lumbar Spinal Stenosis and Disc Herniation
Bilal ERTUGRUL1,Bekir AKGUN1,Gokhan ARTAS2,Fatih Serhat EROL1,Fatih DEMIR1
1Firat University, School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Elazig, Turkey
2Firat University, School of Medicine, Department of Clinical Pathology, Elazig, Turkey
DOI : 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.33552-20.2 AIM: To histopathologically evaluate and compare bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and vitamin D receptor (VDR) levels in the ligamentum flavum (LF) of patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) and lumbar disc herniation (LDH).

MATERIAL and METHODS: Surgical specimens of the LF in 25 patients who underwent surgery for LDH and 25 patients who underwent surgery for LSS were examined histopathologically. The prevalence and severity of BMP-2, VEGF, and VDR immunoreactivity were evaluated to create histoscores (prevalence × severity), which were compared between groups.

RESULTS: The mean BMP-2 histoscore was similar in both groups. In the LSS group, the mean VEGF histoscore was significantly higher and the mean VDR histoscore was significantly lower.

CONCLUSION: Elevated VEGF and decreased VDR levels in the LF in LSS are associated with more intense inflammation and chronic process of the disease. The prominent expression of BMP-2 in the LF in both diseases suggests that BMP-2 might be affected by inflammation regardless of chronic pressure and degeneration. Keywords : Lumbar disc herniation, Spinal stenosis, BMP-2, VEGF, VDR

Corresponding author : Bekir AKGUN, bekirakgun@yahoo.com