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Study · Measured the body's own peptide · 2020

3 results

Antimicrobial peptides in human synovial membrane as (low-grade) periprosthetic joint infection biomarkers.

Banke IJ, Stade N, Prodinger PM, Tübel J, Hapfelmeier A, von Eisenhart-Rothe R, van Griensven M, Gollwitzer H, Burgkart R

European journal of medical research17 Aug 2020Cited by 10 (Europe PMC)

PMID32799924 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC7429885 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1186/s40001-020-00434-1 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-32799924
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Summary

BackgroundSafe diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is of utmost importance for successful exchange arthroplasty. However, current diagnostic tools show insufficient accuracy in the clinically common and challenging chronic low-grade infections. To close this diagnostic gap, reliable (bio)markers display the most promising candidates. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are part of the innate immune response towards microbial growth. Recently we could show significant intraarticular levels of human cathelicidin LL-37 and β-defensin-3 (HBD-3) with high diagnostic accuracy in PJI synovial fluid. Consequently, these promising biomarkers were evaluated in PJI synovial membrane and synoviocytes, which may significantly facilitate histological diagnosis of PJI to improve outcome of septic joint replacement.MethodsIn this prospective single-center controlled clinical study (diagnostic level II), consecutive patients with total hip (THR) and knee (TKR) replacements were included undergoing primary arthroplasty (n = 8), surgical revision due to aseptic loosening (n = 9) and septic arthroplasty with coagulase-negative staphylococci (n = 8) according to the criteria of the Musculoskeletal Infection Society (MSIS). Semiquantitative immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis of LL-37, HBD-3 and HBD-2 in synovial membrane and isolated synoviocytes based on Total Allred Score (TS) and Immunoreactive Remmele and Stegner score (IRS) was performed. For statistical analysis, SPSS 26.0/R3.6.3 (p < 0.05) was used.ResultsThe AMPs LL-37 and HBD-3 were significantly elevated (up to 20×) in synovial membranes from PJI compared to aseptic loosening or primary arthroplasty. The area under the curve (AUC) in a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was equal to 1.0 for both scores revealing excellent diagnostic accuracy. Isolated synoviocytes as cellular AMP source showed comparable results with a significant LL-37/HBD-3-increase up to 3 × in PJI. In contrast, local HBD-2 levels were negligible (p > 0.23) upon PJI with a lower diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.65) in analogy to our previous findings with synovial fluid.ConclusionsOur results implicate AMPs as promising and specific biomarkers for the histological diagnosis of PJI.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study3

No result from this study comes from a test of the peptide.

Natural levels measured3

These results measure the body's own peptide. Nobody was given the peptide. They are not evidence about taking it. They are left out of key results, evidence counts and charts.

  1. 01HumanEndogenous levelObservational studyOther

    In patients with hip or knee replacements, the body's own LL‑37 was up to 20 times higher in synovial membranes from periprosthetic joint infection than from aseptic loosening or primary arthroplasty.

    In plain wordsThe body's own LL‑37 was much higher in joint tissue from infected joint replacements than in uninfected joint tissue.

    Peptide
    LL-37
    Outcome
    IncreaseLL-37 in synovial membrane in PJI
    Study

    n = 25

    Comparator
    Aseptic loosening or primary arthroplasty
    Outcome group
    Inflammation markers · Infection

    Source sentences

    Summary
    The AMPs LL-37 and HBD-3 were significantly elevated (up to 20×) in synovial membranes from PJI compared to aseptic loosening or primary arthroplasty.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    consecutive patients with total hip (THR) and knee (TKR) replacements were included undergoing primary arthroplasty (n = 8), surgical revision due to aseptic loosening (n = 9) and septic arthroplasty with coagulase-negative staphylococci (n = 8) according to the criteria of the Musculoskeletal Infection Society (MSIS)

    This result measures the body's own LL-37. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.

  2. 02HumanEndogenous levelObservational studyOther

    Immunohistochemical scores for LL‑37 and HBD-3 in synovial membrane reached an AUC of 1.0, indicating excellent diagnostic accuracy for periprosthetic joint infection.

    In plain wordsA tissue test for the body's own LL‑37 and HBD-3 separated infected from uninfected joint replacements very well in this small study.

    Peptide
    LL-37
    Outcome
    Not applicableDiagnostic accuracy of synovial LL-37 for PJI (AUC)
    Study

    n = 25

    Outcome group
    Inflammation markers · Infection

    Source sentences

    Summary
    The AMPs LL-37 and HBD-3 were significantly elevated (up to 20×) in synovial membranes from PJI compared to aseptic loosening or primary arthroplasty. The area under the curve (AUC) in a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was equal to 1.0 for both scores revealing excellent diagnostic accuracy.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    consecutive patients with total hip (THR) and knee (TKR) replacements were included undergoing primary arthroplasty (n = 8), surgical revision due to aseptic loosening (n = 9) and septic arthroplasty with coagulase-negative staphylococci (n = 8) according to the criteria of the Musculoskeletal Infection Society (MSIS)

    This result measures the body's own LL-37. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.

  3. 03LabEndogenous levelEx vivo tissueOther

    In isolated synoviocytes from patients, the body's own LL‑37 was up to 3 times higher in periprosthetic joint infection.

    In plain wordsJoint lining cells from infected joint replacements had up to 3 times more of the body's own LL‑37.

    Peptide
    LL-37
    Outcome
    IncreaseLL-37 in isolated synoviocytes in PJI
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Inflammation markers · Infection

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Isolated synoviocytes as cellular AMP source showed comparable results with a significant LL-37/HBD-3-increase up to 3 × in PJI.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    consecutive patients with total hip (THR) and knee (TKR) replacements were included undergoing primary arthroplasty (n = 8), surgical revision due to aseptic loosening (n = 9) and septic arthroplasty with coagulase-negative staphylococci (n = 8) according to the criteria of the Musculoskeletal Infection Society (MSIS)

    This result measures the body's own LL-37. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

  1. Version 3Current

    11 Oct 2026, 00:50 UTC

    Study results updated

  2. Version 2

    9 Oct 2026, 03:03 UTC

    Study data updated · source update from Europe PMC

  3. Version 1

    9 Oct 2026, 02:57 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

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