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.

研究目的：本研究旨在同时检测多种白细胞介素（interleukins, ILs：IL-9、IL-10、IL-12、IL-13、IL-16、IL-17、IL-18、IL-26及IL-27）的转录水平，并探讨其与结核性椎间盘患者的临床病理特征的相关性。
研究方法：本研究于2013年1月至2013年12月期间，收集了150名参与本研究的患者的临床资料。采用实时聚合酶链反应（real-time polymerase chain reaction）检测70份结核性椎间盘标本、70份椎间盘突出标本及10份对照椎间盘标本的mRNA表达水平。
研究结果：IL-10、IL-16、IL-17、IL-18及IL-27在结核性脊柱椎间盘组织中的表达水平显著高于正常椎间盘组织（P<0.05）。本研究结果表明，结核样本中IL-10、IL-16、IL-17、IL-18及IL-27的mRNA表达水平存在多重相关性。吸烟习惯与IL-17转录水平呈正相关，与IL-10转录水平呈负相关（P<0.05）。疼痛强度、症状持续时间、C反应蛋白水平及红细胞沉降率与多种白细胞介素的转录水平均存在多重相关性（P<0.05）。
研究结论：本实验数据提示，白细胞介素在结核性脊柱椎间盘组织中的活性存在双向作用，表明其可能参与椎间盘破坏过程。本研究结果还提示，吸烟可能影响脊柱结核的椎间盘破坏进程。然而，仍需开展进一步研究以阐明白细胞介素在脊柱结核椎间盘破坏过程中的确切作用。