Pregnancy-stratified IL-1β and IL-17A serum levels in women with recurrent urinary tract infections: An exploratory analysis of IL-1β and IL17A polymorphisms

Abstract

Recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTI) are common among women and are influenced by anatomical, immunological, and physiological factors, particularly during pregnancy. Pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-17A (IL-17A) play important roles in host immune defense; however, their behavior in pregnant women with rUTI remains insufficiently explored.

Methods. A total of 90 women, including 60 patients with rUTI and 30 healthy controls were included in this cross-sectional study. Participants were stratified by pregnancy and rUTI statuses. Serum levels of IL-1β and IL-17A were measured using ELISA. Genetic polymorphisms IL1B rs1143633 and IL17A rs2275913 were identified by PCR amplification followed by sequencing.

Results. Serum concentrations of IL-1β and IL-17A were significantly higher in women with RUTIs compared with controls, regardless of pregnancy status (p < 0.001). Pregnant women with rUTI had lower levels of IL-1β than non-pregnant patients (p = 0.025). IL-17A levels did not significantly differ between pregnancy groups. Multivariate analysis showed that rUTI was independently associated with increased cytokine levels after adjustment for age, BMI, and comorbidities. Sequencing identified polymorphisms IL1B rs1143633 and IL17A rs2275913; however, there was no clear association between these variants and cytokine concentrations or disease status.

Conclusions. rUTI is associated with elevated serum IL-1β and IL-17A levels in women, regardless of their pregnancy status. Pregnancy appears to modulate IL-1β responses but does not significantly affect IL-17A expression. The investigated genetic polymorphisms showed no strong influence on inflammatory responses in this cohort. Our findings highlight the role of cytokine-mediated immunity in rUTI and support the need for further large-scale studies.