Ability of quantitative MRI and matrix composition of intervertebral disc to predict its calcium and phosphate levels with different grades of degeneration
Bibliographic record
Abstract
Introduction: Quantitative MRI (qMRI) is a non-invasive, sensitive; tool in evaluating intervertebral discs (IVDs) degeneration. Compared to normal discs, an elevation of calcification potential markers in degenerative IVD was previously shown including alkaline phosphatase (ALP), ionic calcium and inorganic phosphate. The present study aims to determine the changes in qMRI parameters and biochemical and calcification markers (i.e. ionic calcium and inorganic phosphate) with nucleus pulposus (NP) degeneration in human IVD and to determine the potential correlation between these parameters. Methods: 38 human lumbar spines (range 16-73 years) were obtained through Hema-Québec organ donation program within 24 hours after death. They were analyzed by qMRI (relaxation times T1 and T2, magnetization transfer ratio MTR and apparent diffusion coefficient ADC). Disc degeneration was graded based on Pfirrmann grading system and then categorized into mild (grade 2), moderate (grade 3) and severe (grade 4-5) degenerative groups. Biopsies were obtained from the NP tissue of each lumbar disc for the assessment of proteoglycan and collagen content, ionic calcium and inorganic phosphate levels. Statistical analysis was performed and correlations were assessed. Results: Ionic unbound calcium concentration decreased significantly corresponding to the level of degeneration. The total ionic calcium concentration trended to increase with degeneration with statistical significance. The unbound ionic inorganic phosphate was also decreasing significantly with degeneration while the total ionic inorganic phosphate did not show any clear difference between the different grades of degeneration. Significant correlations were found between all the qMRI parameters and unbound ionic calcium. Thesame finding was shown with total ionic calcium except for MTR that had no significance. In addition, there were significant correlations between qMRI parameters and unbound ionic inorganic phosphate but not with the total. Strong and significant correlations between GAG and ionic unbound calcium in addition to GAG and total ionic phosphate were found. That was also similar between the total collagen and total ionic calcium. The multiple regression regression analyses showed that ionic unbound calcium was significantly associated with all the qMRI parameters multiple strong predictions.Conclusion: The total ionic calcium as a major calcification potential marker has a strong positive correlation with the degree of IVD degeneration. QMRI and disc content of total collagen can help in predicting the concentration of total ionic calcium in the IVD.
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How this classification was reachedexpand
Full frame machine prediction
Teacher imitationNot calibrated prevalence, not ground truth. Human validation pending. The Gemma side is a direct model label for every work in the frame, read from the title-only record. The Codex side is a classifier learned from the 10,348 direct Codex labels and calibrated to design-weighted sample rates; fields without enough sample support carry no Codex call. Candidate is the union of the two sides; consensus is their intersection. These outputs are machine_predicted_unvalidated and are not human labels.
Distilled classifier scores by category (both heads)
| Category | Codex | Gemma |
|---|---|---|
| Metaresearch | 0.001 | 0.002 |
| Meta-epidemiology (narrow) | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Meta-epidemiology (broad) | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Bibliometrics | 0.001 | 0.000 |
| Science and technology studies | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Scholarly communication | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Open science | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Research integrity | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Insufficient payload (model declined to judge) | 0.001 | 0.000 |
Machine scores (provisional)
The two teacher heads of the student model, read on this work. A score orders the frame for review; it never asserts a category, and the validation status ships verbatim with every row.
Baseline scores from an immature model (maturity gate not passed, 7 training rounds). Scores rank; they never assert a category.
score_only:v0-immature-baseline · verbatim from the scoring run: score_only means the number may rank works, and no category label ships from itClassification
machine, unvalidatedMachine predicted; a candidate call from one source (direct Gemma or distilled Codex), not a consensus.
How this classification was reached, model by model and score by score, is at the end of the page under "How this classification was reached".