We were unable to access more detailed clinical information, such as age, complications, BMI, degree of IDD by the Pfirrmann grade, involved disc levels, and type of IDD (e.g., disc herniation, spinal stenosis, degenerative spondylolisthesis, disc disease), which restricts our ability to rule out other confounding factors that may affect the expression of CXCL16 and other inflammatory marker genes. The gene discussed is CXCL16; the disease is spinal stenosis.