GINS2 Is Downregulated in Peripheral Blood of Patients with Intervertebral Disk Degeneration and Promotes Proliferation and Migration of Nucleus Pulposus Cells

Abstract

GINS complex subunit 2 (GINS2) regulates the migration, invasion, and growth of cells in many malignant and chronic diseases. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the expression of GINS2 in the peripheral blood and nucleus pulposus (NP) cells of patients with intervertebral disk degeneration (IDD). GINS2 expression was detected using bioinformatics tools from the GEO public repository and validated using peripheral blood samples from IDD patients and healthy participants. GINS2 clinical significance was explored by the receiver operating curve (ROC) utilizing area under the curve (AUC). Moreover, the influences of GINS2 on cell viability, migration, and invasion were explored by MTT, wound healing, and transwell assays, whereas cell apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry. Expression levels of GINS2 in the peripheral blood were significantly lower in IDD patients than in healthy participants. Moreover, ROC obtained a significantly higher AUC of GINS2 in IDD patients. Further, overexpressed GINS2 increased the proliferation, migration, and invasion of NP cells while overexpressed GINS2 decreased the apoptotic property of cells compared to the NC plasmid and control groups. In conclusion, GINS2 might be a potential therapeutic target of IDD.