Background: Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a common vaginal inflammatory disease in females. The interleukin (IL)-23/IL-17 axis was involved in vaginal inflammation. Nevertheless, the relationship between gene polymorphisms in the IL-23/IL-17 axis and VVC risk is still unexplored.
Methods: We enrolled 217 VCC cases and 326 controls in this study. The genotyping of all polymorphisms was implemented by PCR-RFLP methods.
Results: Data indicated that IL-17F  gene rs763780, IL-17A  gene rs2275913, and IL-23R  rs11209026 polymorphisms were linked with an elevated risk of VVC in Chinese ethnicity. Subgroup analyses uncovered that IL-23R  rs11209026, IL-17A  rs10484879 and IL-17F  rs763780 polymorphisms increased the risk of VVC among smokers or individuals with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m². Additionally, IL-17F  rs763780 polymorphism was shown to increase the risk of recurrent VVC (RVVC). Furthermore, IL-23 and IL-17 serum levels were higher among VVC cases than controls. We also observed that IL-23 and IL-17 gene polymorphisms were related to their serum levels. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis found that IL-17 and IL-23 serum levels were associated with the relapse of VVC.
Conclusion: In conclusion, this study indicates that polymorphisms in the IL-23/IL-17 axis increase the risk of VVC.
Keywords: IL-17, IL-23, case–control study, vulvovaginal candidiasis, polymorphism