Back ache? It's in your genes

Researchers from the US Department of Veterans Affairs have discovered three genetic variants associated with chronic back pain.

The study, published in the journal PLOS Genetics, establishes a link between the risk of back pain and variants of genes controlling skeletal development, among other pathways.

These results can help clinicians understand the basic biology underlying this common symptom and develop new therapies.

The researchers conducted a genome-wide association study in 158,000 adults of European ancestry, including more than 29,000 people with chronic back pain, looking for genetic variants associated with the presence of sore throats. back. The strongest association was with a variant of the SOX5 gene, which is a transcription factor involved in virtually all phases of embryonic development.

The inactivation of SOX5 has already been linked to abnormalities in cartilage and skeletal formation in mice, supporting the hypothesis that the variant discovered in this study could contribute to chronic back pain through its influence. on some aspects of skeletal development.

The combination of the SOX5 variant with chronic low back pain has been replicated in another group of more than 280,000 people, including more than 50,000 people with chronic back pain. A second gene, previously associated with intervertebral disc herniation, was also associated with back pain, as was a third gene that plays a role in the development of the spinal cord, which may involve a sensation of pain or mood in the risk of back pain.

Pradeep Suri, lead author of the study, said, "The results of our genome-wide association study indicate that multiple pathways may influence the risk of chronic back pain. Chronic back pain is related to mood changes and the role of the central nervous system in the transition between acute and chronic back pain is well recognized. However, the first two genetic variants that we have identified suggest causes involving peripheral structures, such as the spine. We expect that other large-scale genetic studies will reveal the importance of both peripheral and central factors in the complex experience of chronic back pain. "