Correlation between Serum Level of Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 and Postoperative Recurrence of Spinal Tuberculosis in the Chinese Han Population

OBJECTIVE: To correlate serum level of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) with postoperative recurrence of spinal tuberculosis in the Chinese Han population. METHODS: Patients of Han nationality with newly diagnosed spinal tuberculosis were consecutively included in this study. At different time points postoperatively, serum level of MCP-1 was determined using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Recurrence of spinal tuberculosis after surgery and during the follow-up period was recorded. The correlation between serum MCP-1 level and recurrence of spinal tuberculosis was analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 169 patients with spinal tuberculosis were included in the study and followed up for an average of2.2±1.3 years (range, 1–5 years). Of these patients, 11 had postoperative recurrence of spinal tuberculosis. The patients’ serum level of MCP-1 increased significantly after postoperative recurrence of spinal tuberculosis. Once the symptoms of recurrence were cured, the serum level of MCP-1 decreased significantly and it did not differ from patients without disease recurrence. CONCLUSION: Postoperative recurrence of spinal tuberculosis is likely to increase the serum level of MCP-1.