OBJECTIVE To analyze the relationship between the postoperative intervertebral space infection and the expressions of β-catenin and glycogen synthase kinase-3β(GSK-3β)in the patients with lumbar disc herniation(LDH).METHODS A total of 201 patients with LDH who received surgical procedures in Harbin Orthopedics and Traumatology Hospital from Jan.2022 to May 2024 were enrolled in the study and were divided into the infection group and the no infection group according to the status of postoperative intervertebral space infection.The distri-bution and drug resistance of pathogens isolated from the patients of the infection group were detected.The rela-tive expression levels of peripheral blood Wnt,β-catenin and GSK-3β proteins were compared between the two groups.RESULTS Among the 201 patients who received surgical procedures,21 had postoperative intervertebral space infections,with the infection rate 10.45％.Totally 26 strains of pathogens were isolated from the 21 patients in the infection group,11(42.31％)of which were gram-negative bacteria,and 15(57.69％)were gram-positive bacteria.The operation duration of the infection group was(3.46±0.89)hour,longer than(3.09±0.73)hour of the no infection group(t=2.146,P=0.033).There were significant differences in the expressions of peripheral blood β-catenin and GSK-3β proteins between the infection group and the no infection group(P＜0.05).Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis showed that the areas under the curves(AUCs)of the relative ex-pression levels of β-catenin and GSK-3β were 0.836 and 0.800,respectively;the sensitivities were 52.40％and 66.70％,respectively;the specificities were 90.56％and 93.89％,respectively;the cut-off point were 5.65 and 2.15,respectively.CONCLUSIONS The LDH patients are at high risk of postoperative intervertebral space infec-tion,the patients with the infection show the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways and the rise of ex-pression levels of β-catenin and GSK-3β proteins.The levels of the indexes may facilitate the prediction of postop-erative intervertebral space infection in the LDH patients.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the relationship between the postoperative intervertebral space infection and the expressions of β-catenin and glycogen synthase kinase-3β(GSK-3β)in the patients with lumbar disc herniation(LDH).METHODS A total of 201 patients with LDH who received surgical procedures in Harbin Orthopedics and Traumatology Hospital from Jan.2022 to May 2024 were enrolled in the study and were divided into the infection group and the no infection group according to the status of postoperative intervertebral space infection.The distri-bution and drug resistance of pathogens isolated from the patients of the infection group were detected.The rela-tive expression levels of peripheral blood Wnt,β-catenin and GSK-3β proteins were compared between the two groups.RESULTS Among the 201 patients who received surgical procedures,21 had postoperative intervertebral space infections,with the infection rate 10.45％.Totally 26 strains of pathogens were isolated from the 21 patients in the infection group,11(42.31％)of which were gram-negative bacteria,and 15(57.69％)were gram-positive bacteria.The operation duration of the infection group was(3.46±0.89)hour,longer than(3.09±0.73)hour of the no infection group(t=2.146,P=0.033).There were significant differences in the expressions of peripheral blood β-catenin and GSK-3β proteins between the infection group and the no infection group(P＜0.05).Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis showed that the areas under the curves(AUCs)of the relative ex-pression levels of β-catenin and GSK-3β were 0.836 and 0.800,respectively;the sensitivities were 52.40％and 66.70％,respectively;the specificities were 90.56％and 93.89％,respectively;the cut-off point were 5.65 and 2.15,respectively.CONCLUSIONS The LDH patients are at high risk of postoperative intervertebral space infec-tion,the patients with the infection show the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways and the rise of ex-pression levels of β-catenin and GSK-3β proteins.The levels of the indexes may facilitate the prediction of postop-erative intervertebral space infection in the LDH patients.