腰椎融合术后手术部位感染外周血NLRP3/Caspase-1/IL-1β信号通路的表达水平

Expressions of NLRP3/Caspase-1/IL-1βsignaling pathways in peripheral blood of lumbar fusion patients with postoperative surgical site infection

目的分析腰椎融合术后手术部位感染(SSI)外周血核苷酸结合寡聚化结构样受体蛋白3/半胱氨酸天冬氨酸蛋白水解酶-1/白细胞介素-1β(NLRP3/Caspase-1/IL-1β)信号通路的表达。方法选取2016年6月-2021年6月河南中医药大学第二附属医院收治的行腰椎融合治疗患者术后发生SSI患者76例为研究组,同期未感染患者80例为对照组。采用实时荧光定量聚合酶链反应和免疫印迹法检测外周血单个核细胞(PBMCs)中NLRP3炎性小体组分NLRP3、凋亡相关斑点样蛋白(ASC)和Caspase-1 mRNA及蛋白相对表达,检测血清IL-1β、IL-18、IL-33、C-反应蛋白(CRP)及降钙素原(PCT)水平。结果研究组PBMCs中NLRP3、ASC和Caspase-1 mRNA及蛋白表达均高于对照组(P<0.05);研究组患者血清IL-1β、IL-18、IL-33、CRP和PCT水平均高于对照组(P<0.05);Pearson相关性分析显示,腰椎融合治疗术后感染患者NLRP3 mRNA及蛋白表达分别与CRP、PCT呈正相关(P<0.05),IL-1β、IL-18和IL-33分别与CRP呈正相关(P<0.05)。结论NLRP3/Caspase-1/IL-1β信号通路可能参与腰椎融合治疗患者术后SSI的发生发展。

OBJECTIVE To analyze the expressions of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3/cysteine proteinase-1/interleukin-1β(NLRP3/Caspase-1/IL-1β)signaling pathways in peripheral blood of the lumbar fusion patients with postoperative surgical site infection(SSI).METHODS A total of 76 patients who underwent lumbar fusion and had postoperative SSI in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from Jun 2016 to Jun 2021 were assigned as the study group,meanwhile,80 patients who did not have infection were assigned as the control group.The relative expression levels of NLRP3 inflammasome,apoptosis-associated speck-like protein(ASC)and Caspase-1 mRNA and proteins in peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs)were detected by means of real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western Blot,and the levels of serum IL-1β,IL-18,IL-33,C-reactive protein(CRP)and procalcitonin(PCT)were detected.RESULTS The expression levels of NLRP3,ASC and Caspase-1 mRNA and proteins in PBMCs as well as the levels of serum IL-1β,IL-18,IL-33,CRP and PCT were significantly higher in the study group than in the control group(P<0.05).Pearson correlation analysis indicated that the expressions of NLRP3 mRNA and proteins were positively correlated with CRP and PCT,respectively(P<0.05)and that the IL-1β,IL-18 and IL-33 were positively correlated with CRP,respectively(P<0.05).CONCLUSION NLRP3/Caspase-1/IL-1βsignaling pathways may get involved in occurrence and development of the postoperative SSI in the lumbar fusion patients.