Protective role of IL-1β against post-arthroplasty Staphylococcus aureus infection

MyD88 is an adapter molecule that is used by both IL-1R and TLR family members to initiate downstream signaling and promote immune responses. Given that IL-1β is induced after S. aureus infections and TLR2 is activated by S. aureus lipopeptides, we hypothesized that IL-1β and TLR2 contribute to MyD88-dependent protective immune responses against post-arthroplasty S. aureus infections. To test this hypothesis, we used a mouse model of a post-arthroplasty S. aureus infection to compare the bacterial burden, biofilm formation and neutrophil recruitment in IL-1β-deficient, TLR2-deficient and wildtype mice. By using in vivo bioluminescence imaging, we found that the bacterial burden in IL-1β-deficient mice was 26-fold higher at 1 day after infection and remained 3- to 10-fold greater than wildtype mice through day 42. In contrast, the bacterial burden in TLR2-deficient mice did not differ from wildtype mice. In addition, implants harvested from IL-1β-deficient mice had more biofilm formation and 14-fold higher adherent bacteria compared with those from wildtype mice. Finally, IL-1β-deficient mice had ~50% decreased neutrophil recruitment to the infected postoperative joints than wildtype mice. Taken together, these findings suggest a mechanism by which IL-1β induces neutrophil recruitment to help control the bacterial burden and the ensuing biofilm formation in a post-surgical joint.