Plasma Proteomic Profiling Identifies a Six-Protein Panel for Grading and Predicting Intervertebral Disc Degeneration

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) represents a significant
health concern affecting a large portion of the population and leads
to chronic pain and disability. Despite the prevalence of this condition,
the underlying biological mechanisms and potential biomarkers for
early diagnosis remain inadequately understood. Advances in proteomics
have opened new avenues for identifying blood biomarkers that can
facilitate better diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. The primary
aim of this study was to identify and validate specific plasma proteins
associated with varying grades of IDD. This case–control study
compared plasma samples from patients with grade II (n = 10) and grade V (n = 10) IDD to assess differential
protein expression. Proteomic analysis was conducted via the SomaScan
Assay to screen and identify candidate proteins. Six differential
proteinsCOL6α3, REG1β, ATF5, CAP1, MAGEA4, and
LILRB3were identified with the highest fold changes and recognized
as biomarkers. Subsequent validation of these biomarkers was performed
using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technology in a validation
cohort of 50 patients. A final six-protein combined model achieved
an optimal predictive efficacy (AUC = 0.8700). This study provides
several noninvasive and rapid plasma biomarkers for the early diagnosis
of IDD.