Background:Unhealthy habits, such as overeating processed and high-calorie
foods, alcohol abuse, and smoking, negatively impact human health. It has been suggested
that the inflammatory process and the resulting growth of nerve fibers within the intervertebral
disc (IVD) fissures is the main reason for the pain accompanying IVD degeneration
(IVDD).Objectives:The aim of this study was to determine whether smoking, alcohol consumption,
overweight/obesity, or diabetes comorbidity contribute to the development of IVDD and how
the aforementioned factors affect the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), glial
cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), and growth associated protein 43 (GAP-43) in the
study and control groups (intervertebral discs, IVDs from cadavers, and serum samples from
voluntary blood donors).Methods:The study group comprised 113 patients diagnosed with IVDD who qualified for
microdiscectomy. Two control groups (I and II) were used in this study. The first included 81
IVDs obtained from Caucasian human cadavers. Control group II, on the other hand, included
serum samples obtained from 113 voluntary blood donors. The expression profiles of BDNF,
GDNF, and GAP-43 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Results:Our statistical analysis confirmed that patients who were overweight/obese, smoked
tobacco, consumed alcohol, or had diabetes had a higher risk of IVDD (OR > 1). Statistical
analysis showed that BDNF, GAP-43, and GDNF concentrations were significantly higher in
the IVDs and serum samples obtained from the study group compared to the control group (p
< 0.05). In addition, higher levels of BDNF, GDNF, and GAP-43 were noted in IVDD patients
who consumed alcohol, smoked tobacco, were overweight/obese, or had comorbid diabetes
compared to patients without these risk factors (p < 0.05).Conclusion:We showed that changes in energy metabolism, habits, and lifestyle, as well as
the degenerative process of IVD in the lumbosacral spine contribute to changing the concentration
profile of the analyzed neurotrophic factors.