James G, Chen X, Diwan A, et al. - This study was undertaken to assess if similar mechanisms are active in humans by investigating whether the expression of inflammatory genes in the multifidus muscle differed between individuals with low and high levels of intramuscular fat in the muscle. Researchers further compared inflammatory gene expression in the intra-muscular, subcutaneous and epidural fat between groups. A total of 24 individuals who had undergone spine surgery for intervertebral disc (IVD) herniation were included in the study. Individuals were assigned to high- and low-fat infiltration groups based on clinical assessment of multifidus fat using Kjaer grading of MRI. The data demonstrate the hypothesis that IVD degeneration is correlated with dysregulation of the inflammatory state of the local multifidus muscle, which gives initial evidence for translation of some, but not all, observations from recent animal studies to humans. In epidural adipose tissue, the discovery of inflammatory dysregulation has the potential for a broad impact on tissue health and low back pain symptoms.