Systemic and Local Cytokines Profile Determine Severity and Prognosis in Human Septic Arthritis

Septic arthritis (SA) is a medical emergency. The most common etiological agents are bacteria, which activate the local immune response coordinated by cytokines; however, little is known about the cytokine profile in human SA.

To determine the association of local and systemic cytokine profiles with the severity and prognosis of patients with SA.

Patients with clinical and laboratory diagnosed SA were enrolled as well as a control group. Serum and synovial fluid (SF) samples were obtained for determining cytokines and glucose levels; SF samples were used for histological analysis. Osteochondral damage and general health status and quality of life (SF-36) were evaluated during recruitment day. WOMAC osteoarthritis index score and SF-36 questionnaire were used a year after recruitment day as a follow up.

A systemic and local proinflammatory cytokine profile was found in patients compared to the control group (p <0.05). IL-6 was 28 and 525 times higher than controls in sera and SF, respectively (p <0.0001). Systemic IL-6 correlated negatively with general mental health score (p = 0.0184) and was associated with a higher osteoarthritis index after one year follow-up in the patients (p = 0.0352). HMGB1 in SF was found higher in patients with SA (p <0.0001), and it was associated with osteochondral damage (p = 0.0042). TNF-α in SF correlated negatively with SF-36 questionnaire one year after patients' recruitment in role limitation score (p = 0.0318), body pain score (p = 0.0315), and general mental health score (p = 0.0197).

Serum and SF cytokine signatures are associated with disease severity and prognosis in patients with SA.