HUMAN HERNIATED INTER-VERTEBRAL DISCS - NO EVIDENCE OF AN IMMUNE-RESPONSE

Many previous authors have reported morphological and histochemical ob servations on the nucleus pulposus in human herniated discs. It has be en implied that an autoimmune response may be a cause of tissue damage , or may maintain the process involved in the invertebral disc herniat ion and consequent back pain. In a preliminary study we have now evalu ated the presence of HLA-DR antigens in nucleus pulposus frozen sectio ns and the presence of endothelial cells, by the use of antibodies aga inst the von Willebrand factor. The results, on samples from 11 patien ts, showed only a few feeble HLA-DR antigen-positive cells in one case and no positivity for the von Willebrand factor. Therefore, on the ba sis of the results in this study, it may be said that an HLA-DR mediat ed auto-immune mechanism in human discal herniation is unlikely. (C) 1 998 Lippincott-Raven Publishers.