HIF-1α Polymorphism in the Susceptibility of Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy and Its Outcome after Anterior Cervical Corpectomy and Fusion Treatment

Background: To investigate the association between the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of hypoxia-inducible factor1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha) and the susceptibility to cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) and its outcome after surgical treatment. Method: A total of 230 CSM patients and 284 healthy controls were recruited. All patients received anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion (ACF) and were followed for 12 months. The genotypes for two HIF-1 alpha variants (1772C>T and 1790G>A) were determined. Results: In the present study, we found that the HIF-1 alpha polymorphism at 1790G>A significantly affects the susceptibility to CSM and its clinical features, including severity and onset age. In addition, the 1790A>G polymorphism also determines the prognosis of CSM patients after ACF treatment. The GG genotype of 1790G>A polymorphism is associated with a higher risk to develop CSM, higher severity and earlier onset age. More importantly, we found that the 1790G>A polymorphism determines the clinical outcome in CSM patients who underwent ACF treatment. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the HIF-1 alpha 1790G>A polymorphism is associated with the susceptibility to CSM and can be used as predictor for the clinical outcome in CSM patients receiving ACF treatment.