title: Transcript levels of major interleukins in relation to the clinicopathological profile of patients with tuberculous intervertebral discs and healthy controls.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the present study was to simultaneously examine the transcript levels of a large number of interleukins (ILs; IL-9, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, IL-16, IL-17, IL-18, IL-26, and IL-27) and investigate their correlation with the clinicopathological profiles of patients with tuberculous intervertebral discs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical data were collected from 150 patients participating in the study from January 2013 to December 2013. mRNA expression levels in 70 tuberculous, 70 herniated, and 10 control intervertebral disc specimens were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IL-10, IL-16, IL-17, IL-18, and IL-27 displayed stronger expression in tuberculous spinal disc tissue than in normal intervertebral disc tissue (P<0.05). Our results illustrated multiple correlations among IL-10, IL-16, IL-17, IL-18, and IL-27 mRNA expression in tuberculous samples. Smoking habits were found to have a positive correlation with IL-17 transcript levels and a negative correlation with IL-10 transcript levels (P<0.05). Pain intensity, symptom duration, C-reactive protein levels, and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate exhibited multiple correlations with the transcript levels of several ILs (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The experimental data imply a double-sided effect on the activity of ILs in tuberculous spinal intervertebral discs, suggesting that they may be involved in intervertebral discs destruction. Our findings also suggest that smoking may affect the intervertebral discs destruction process of spinal tuberculosis. However, further studies are necessary to elucidate the exact role of ILs in the intervertebral discs destruction process of spinal tuberculosis.
authors: Spine and Osteopathy Ward, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China.
authors: Chong
authors: C
authors: Liu
authors: Spine and Osteopathy Ward, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China.
authors: Xinli
authors: X
authors: Zhan
authors: Spine and Osteopathy Ward, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China.
authors: Zengming
authors: Z
authors: Xiao
authors: Spine and Osteopathy Ward, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China.
authors: Qie
authors: Q
authors: Fan
authors: Spine and Osteopathy Ward, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China.
authors: Li
authors: L
authors: Deng
authors: Spine and Osteopathy Ward, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China.
authors: Mingxing
authors: M
authors: Cui
authors: Spine and Osteopathy Ward, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China.
authors: Chunxiang
authors: C
authors: Xiong
authors: Spine and Osteopathy Ward, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China.
authors: Jingbo
authors: J
authors: Xue
authors: Spine and Osteopathy Ward, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China.
authors: Xiangtao
authors: X
authors: Xie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007378:Interleukins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D014399:Tuberculosis, Spinal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D007378:Interleukins; D012333:RNA, Messenger