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Bone & Joint Open
Vol. 5, Issue 6 | Pages 479 - 488
6 Jun 2024
Paksoy A Meller S Schwotzer F Moroder P Trampuz A Imiolczyk J Perka C Hackl M Plachel F Akgün D

Aims

Current diagnostic tools are not always able to effectively identify periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs). Recent studies suggest that circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) undergo changes under pathological conditions such as infection. The aim of this study was to analyze miRNA expression in hip arthroplasty PJI patients.

Methods

This was a prospective pilot study, including 24 patients divided into three groups, with eight patients each undergoing revision of their hip arthroplasty due to aseptic reasons, and low- and high-grade PJI, respectively. The number of intraoperative samples and the incidence of positive cultures were recorded for each patient. Additionally, venous blood samples and periarticular tissue samples were collected from each patient to determine miRNA expressions between the groups. MiRNA screening was performed by small RNA-sequencing using the miRNA next generation sequencing (NGS) discovery (miND) pipeline.


Orthopaedic Proceedings
Vol. 100-B, Issue SUPP_1 | Pages 20 - 20
1 Jan 2018
Renz N Mudrovcic S Trampuz A Perka C
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Cutibacterium species (formerly Propionibacterium species) are increasingly recognized as causative pathogens of low-grade periprosthetic joint infections (PJI). The clinical manifestation of infections caused by this low virulent microorganism is nonspecific and the interpretation remains challenging. In this prospective cohort study from 01/2012 to 07/2017 we analyzed the clinical and diagnostic characteristics of microbiologically proven hip PJI caused by Cutibacterium species. PJI was defined by growth of Cutibacteria in ≥2 periprosthetic tissue samples or in sonication fluid of the removed implant (>50 CFU/ml) at revision surgery. If Cutibacteria grew only in synovial fluid at least one other positive microbiological specimen or non-microbiological criterion was required.

We included 26 patients suffering from Cutibacterium hip PJI, among them 19 were males (73%). The majority of PJI (24, 92%) presented delayed (3–24 months) or late (>24 months) after implantation. Sinus tract was present in 4 patients (16%) and radiological implant loosening in 16 patients (62%). Among non-microbiological diagnostic tests, increased synovial fluid leukocyte count showed the highest sensitivity (82%), followed by tissue histology (71%) and serum C-reactive protein (58%). After 7 days of incubation Cutibacterium grew in synovial fluid, periprosthetic tissue and sonication fluid culture in 20%, 42% and 32%, respectively, and in 43%, 76% and 83%, respectively, after 14 days of incubation.

We conclude that Cutibacterium PJI was diagnosed late in the disease course and presented with subtle clinical signs. Prolonged culture incubation and implant sonication improved the poor performance of conventional microbiological tests. Due to lack of reliable diagnostic tests, Cutibacterium remains difficult to detect making the diagnosis challenging.