The evaluation of IL-23 expression in Trichomonas vaginalis infection, in vitro

Abstract

Trichomoniasis is the most common non-viral sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the world, usually more common in developing countries. The aim of this study is to evaluation of IL-23 expression in Trichomonas vaginalis infection. Materials and Methods: This study was cross-sectional experimental study which was performed in Tabriz Medical School in 2021. First, the parasite in TYM medium and epithelial cells in DMEM medium in 5 ° C and in the incubator of 37 ° C and CO2 of 5% was cultured; Then, in order to adapt the parasite and epithelial cells with the common culture medium (DMEM-TYM 2: 1), the DMEM medium was gradually added to the parasite culture medium with 20 times serial passages. Similarly, TYM medium was gradually added to cell culture medium in 20 consecutive passages. Finally, 104 × 2 per ml of parasite and epithelial cell suspensions were cultured in ratios of 1: 1, 1: 2, 1: 4 and 1: 8 in 5% co-culture medium and in the incubator of 37 ° C and CO2 for 24 hours. The control group was epithelial cells cultured in co-culture medium without parasites. The test and control groups were performed in threes. Then, the total RNA of the control and test groups was extracted using an RNA extraction kit and the cDNA was synthesized. Finally, the expression of Th17 genes in both groups were determined and compared by quantitative real-time PCR and specific primers. Results: In this study, the expression level of IL-23 gene in HVEC cells in the groups of the triple rate of the parasite relative to the cell (X3) and the five time rate of the parasite relative to the cell (X5) increased significantly with (P-value <0.05) and (P- value <0.001) compared to the control group, respectively; On the other hand, the expression of IL-23 gene in HVEC cells in the groups of the parity rate of the parasite relative to the cell (X1) was not significantly different from the control group (P-value> 0.05). Also, the expression of IL-23 gene in HeLa cells in all groups of the parity rate of the parasite relative to the cell (X1), the triple rate of the parasite relative to the cell (X3) and the five time rate of the parasite relative to the cell (X5), increased significantly with (P-value <0.05), (P-value <0.001) and (P-value <0.001) compared to the control group, respectively.