Using glycosaminoglycan Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (gagCEST) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), this study comparatively evaluated the GAG contents of lumbar intervertebral disks (IVDs) of patients with non-specific low back pain (nsLBP), radiculopathy, and asymptomatic volunteers to elucidate the association of clinical manifestation and compositional correlate. A total of 18 patients (mean age 57.5 ± 22.5 years) with radiculopathy, 16 age-matched patients with chronic nsLBP and 20 age-matched volunteers underwent standard morphologic and compositional gagCEST MRI on a 3T scanner. In all cohorts, GAG contents of lumbar IVDs were determined using gagCEST MRI. An assessment of morphologic IVD degeneration based on the Pfirrmann classification and T2-weighted sequences served as a reference. A linear mixed model adjusted for multiple confounders was used for statistical evaluation. IVDs of patients with nsLBP showed lower gagCEST values than those of volunteers (nsLBP: 1.3% [99% confidence intervals (CI): 1.0; 1.6] vs. volunteers: 1.9% [99% CI: 1.6; 2.2]). Yet, IVDs of patients with radiculopathy (1.8% [99% CI: 1.4; 2.1]) were not different from patients with nsLBP or volunteers. In patients with radiculopathy, IVDs directly adjacent to IVD extrusions demonstrated lower gagCEST values than distant IVDs (adjacent: 0.9% [99% CI: 0.3; 1.5], distant: 2.1% [99% CI: 1.7; 2.5]). Advanced GAG depletion in nsLBP and directly adjacent to IVD extrusions in radiculopathy indicates close interrelatedness of clinical pathology and compositional degeneration.
