[Expression of epidermal growth factor receptor Ki67 and p16 in human middle ear cholesteatoma]

This study aimed to analyze the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Ki67 and p16 in human middle ear cholesteatomas and to investigate the correlation between its expression and the ability of erosion of cholesteatoma.

The specimens from the acquired middle ear cholesteatoma tissue of 30 cases and 21 external ear canal skin samples from patients and 17 external ear canal skin samples from healthful men were taken intraoperatively. Their expression was examined by immunohistochemical SP method. Then we scanned it into a computer by an image scanner and quantified the gray of them using commercial software.

The percent of positive expression of EGFR, Ki67 and p16 in middle ear cholesteatoma were 70.0%, 60.0%, 46.7%. Their expression tended to the increased greatly compared with the skins of the control groups. There was not correlation between the expression of EGFR, Ki67 and p16 (P > 0.05). It showed statistically significant correlation between expression of EGFR and the ability of erosion of middle ear cholesteatoma (P < 0.01). There was correlation between the expression of Ki67 and the ability of erosion of middle ear cholesteatoma too (P < 0.01). But there was not correlation between the expression of p16 and the ability of erosion of middle ear cholesteatoma (P > 0.05). The expression of EGFR, Ki67, p16 in all epithelial layers of middle ear cholesteatoma were abundantly stained, especially in the basal and spinous layers. Only the basal layer were slightly stained in control groups.

The expression of EGFR, Ki67, p16 in middle ear cholesteatoma was significantly high-er compared with the skin of external auditory of cholesteatoma patients and healthful peoples. There was correlation between the expression of EGFR or Ki67 and the ability of erosion of middle ear cholesteatoma. It means that EGFR, Ki67 and p16 play a key role in the hyperproliferation middle ear cholesteatoma.