Fig 2: Expression of genes up-regulated in the human degenerative versus non-degenerative annulus fibrosus.Real-time RT-PCR data confirm IGFBP3, IFIT3, TFPI and IFIT2 were significantly increased in degenerative annulus fibrosus cells, while PMAIP1, GDF15, MGST1 and IFIT1 were up-regulated with no statistical significance. The data represent fold changes ± standard error. For statistical analysis, a two-tailed t-test was carried out on log2 transformed relative expression data and multiple testing correction was performed according to the method of Benjamini and Hochberg, with 10% false discovery rate considered significant. N = 10 for degenerative samples; N = 8 for non-degenerative samples; *p < 0.05; #p < 0.1 degenerative versus non-degenerative.

Fig 3: Interferon (IFN) signalling pathway in the human degenerative disc.The schematic generated is representative of the figure produced by IPA ingenuity pathway analysis system that shows the most dysregulated canonical pathway, the IFN signalling pathway, identified by microarray data of human degenerative versus non-degenerative annulus fibrosus. Several genes found dysregulated in degenerative annulus fibrosus are induced or up-regulated through IFNA signalling pathway, such as IFIT1, IFIT2, IFIT3, as well as IGFBP3 and are indicated in pink.