KONTRIBUSI FAKTOR RISIKO TERHADAP EKSPRESI GEN TUMOR NECROTIC FACTOR ALPHA PADA NYERI PUNGGUNG BAWAH KRONIK

Chronic low back pain is a leading cause of disability worldwide and is associated with complex interactions among inflammatory, genetic, and lifestyle-related factors. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) plays a pivotal role in neuroinflammation and intervertebral disc degeneration, yet the influence of clinical risk factors on its gene expression remains unclear. This study investigated the association between demographic and lifestyle-related risk factors and TNF-α gene expression in patients with chronic low back pain. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 41 patients with chronic low back pain. Nineteen healthy individuals were included as a reference group for calibrating relative TNF-α gene expression. Demographic characteristics, smoking status, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, and pain intensity were assessed in patients with chronic low back pain. Relative TNF-α gene expression in peripheral blood was quantified using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and analyzed using nonparametric statistical tests. Results: The mean age of the 41 patients was 48.90 ± 14.27 years, and most patients reported high physical activity levels (48.8%) and had normal BMI (46.3%). Median relative TNF-α gene expression was 1.37 (range, 0.09–20.76). Furthermore, TNF- α gene expression showed no significant association with age, sex, smoking status, BMI, physical activity, or pain intensity (all p > 0.05). Conclusions: TNF-α gene expression was not significantly associated with demographic or lifestyle-related risk factors in chronic low back pain, suggesting that inflammatory gene regulation is influenced by multifactorial biological mechanisms beyond conventional clinical characteristics.