The influence of scoliosis and ageing on proteoglycan heterogeneity in the human intervertebral disc.

Proteoglycans (PGs) purified from 19-year-old male (19M), 53-year-old female (53F), and 15-16-year-old adolescent idiopathic scoliotic (AIS) disc tissues were characterised by their aggregation properties with hyaluronic acid (HA), glycosaminoglycan (GAG), and amino acid composition, electrophoretic mobilities by composite agarose polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (CAPGE), and hydrodynamic size by Sepharose CL2B gel permeation chromatography. Proteoglycan levels were similar in the AIS and 53F discs, but considerably higher levels were found in the 19M discs. Proteoglycan populations assessed by the aforementioned criteria demonstrated a similar level of heterogeneity in the AIS and 53F discs but this differed with the 19M sample. Two small Mr, low buoyant density PG species were particularly prominent in AIS and 53F discs: these were similar to two nonaggregating PG species formerly reported by di Fabio et al.; however, the corresponding PG species in 19M discs were of somewhat different composition. Collectively, these data suggest similar processing of PGs in the AIS and 53F discs. Furthermore, the pattern of normal age changes in the PGs from AIS discs appears to be disturbed, most likely arising as a consequence of the abnormal biomechanical forces intrinsic to the deformity.