Table 2 Median biomarker levels in those with clinically defined sciatica and in those with and without MRI findings

No (n = 26)

Yes (n = 93)

No (n = 49)

Yes (n = 44)

TNFα

11.9 (9.7–13.8)

10.7 (1.0–14.8)

12.39 (1.0–14.74)

9.86 (1.0–14.96)

IL-1β

BLD

BLD

BLD

BLD

IL-6

BLD

BLD

4.96 (1.6–7.4)

4.21 (0.5–7.7)

IL-33

9.0 (7.2–10.9)

8.0 (6.9–10.4)

9.1(7.9–10.1)

8.8 (7.3–10.1)

IFNγ

BLD

BLD

BLD

BLD

TNFRI

5117.1

5087.4

5059.9

5190.3

(4379.9–5692.6)

(4525.4–6033.3)

(4660.4–5838.9)

(4418.2–6113.9)

IL-1RI

1488.8

1469.6

1490.5

1423.9

(1311.8–1620.9)

(1273.0–1626.3)

(1346.4–1615.8)

(1143.8–1654.0)

IL-1RII

6913.9

6985.1

7347.6

6797.3

(5541.3–7819.7)

(6099.9–8066.3)

(6513.9–8414.0)

(5818.4–7825.0)

IL-1Ra

866.3

998.4

974.4

1019.7

(575.8–1267.8)

(735.8–1421.6)

(693.9–1419.7)

(7417.7–1508.9)

CXCL8

2.8

3.6

3.7

4.7

(0.9–3.5)

(1.5–6.4)

(1.7–6.5)

(2.3–7.1)

MCP-1

313.7

257.9

274.3

310.0

(247.7–313.7)

(207.8–361.8)

(191.1–348.2)

(213.6–416.0)

FGFβ

BLD

BLD

BLD

BLD

VEGF

42.9 (19.4–62.2)

65.0 (22.0–98.5)

66.2 (27.6–96.9)

63.5 (20.7–123.8)

HGF

265.5

245.9

244.9

245.9

(212.5–351.9)

(191.0–321.7)

(182.6–315.1)

(196.9–315.1)

Ang-2

2164.8

2465.0

2311.2

2870.0

(1637.7–3385.0)

(1842.1–3375.4)

(1659.9–3070.6)

(1921.6–3456.1)

MMP-1

8450.0

7857.2

7344.9

8011.0

(4267.3–13,173.5)

(5031.0–15,134.3)

(5113.1–12,124.3)

(4171.7–24,762.6)

MMP-2

46,778.4

44,214.2

42,714.7

44,418.4

(45,258.0–48,596.9)

(37,585.8–50,496.4)

(36,594.9–50,419.9)

(38,275.4–50,668.8)

MMP-3

13,741.5

12,111.6

12,852.8

11,882.8

(8626.9–22,480.1)

(8403.3–18,651.9)

(7733.5–18,337.4)

(8863.1–18,789.5)

MMP-8

8942.1

7409.5

7842.8

6091.0

(4098.4–11,552.5)

(4509.8–12,196.8)

(4518.1–10,694.5)

(4181.4–13,098.2)

Aggrecan

943.0

922.9

911.2

961.4

(747.4–1302.5)

(618.8–1253.4)

(624.7–1272.3)

(589.5–1243.3)