Data from: Transcript levels of major interleukins in relation to the clinicopathological profile of patients with tuberculous intervertebral discs and healthy controls

Objectives: 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.