Genetic variation in key molecules of the Th-17 immune response is not associated with risk for prosthetic joint infection in a Czech population.

Background And Aims: Prosthetic Joint Infection (PJI) is a serious complication of Total Joint Arthroplasty (TJA). The Th-17 immune response characterised by IL (interleukin)-17A, IL-17F, IL-23, chemotactic cytokines and their receptors, plays a prominent role in the immune response to invading bacteria. In addition, high expression of IL-17A has been reported in PJI. The aim of this study was to investigate whether genetic variation in the key molecules of the Th-17 immune response can affect the risk for PJI.

Methods: Altogether ten Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) of IL17A (rs2275913), IL17F (rs763780), IL4 (rs2243250), IL12A (rs583911), IL12B (rs3212227 and (rs17860508), IL23R (rs7517847), CXCL1 (rs4074), CXCL5 (rs425535) and CXCR2 (rs2230054) genes were genotyped by PCR with sequence specific primers (SSP) in 98 patients with PJI and two control groups 1) an aseptic TJA control (253 patients with TJA that did not develop PJI at least 6 yrs. after the surgery) and 2) a population control (185 healthy control subjects without TJA).

Results: Allele, genotype and phenotype frequencies of investigated SNPs did not differ between the patients with PJI and control patients with aseptic TJA (p>0.05). There was no difference in the distribution of tested SNPs between patients with PJI and population controls without TJA (p>0.05) or between the two controls groups (p>0.05).

Conclusions: We cannot nominate any of studied polymorphisms in IL17A, IL17F, IL4, IL12A, IL12B, IL23R, CXCL1, CXCL5 and CXCR2 genes as risk factors for PJI in the Czech TJA patients examined.