Cholesteatoma growth and proliferation: relevance with serpin B3

The mechanisms of cholesteatoma proliferation and growth remain unclear. The objective of this study is to discover the potential mechanisms of the proliferation and growth of cholesteatoma by direct experimental assessments on cholesteatoma tissues from patients.

Retrospective study by the comparisons between cholesteatoma tissues and retroauricular skin tissues from the patients.

Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, LC-MS/MS analysis and immunohistochemistry were performed to investigate specific protein expression in cholesteatoma tissues compared with retroauricular skin tissues collected from the patients. Western blotting analysis was conducted to verify the regulation of specific proteins found by 2-DE, and to determine the changes of associated potential modulators in cholesteatoma proliferation and growth.

Twelve serpin B3 isoforms were found by 2-DE and identified by LC-MS/MS analysis, which is coherent with the results exhibited by immunohistochemistry and western blot. Up-regulation of STAT3 and down-regulations of cathepsin K and cathepsin L were represented using western blot.

The data in this study suggested serpin B3, STAT3, cathepsin K, and cathepsin L are associated with the proliferation and growth of cholesteatoma, and these proteins may be influential factors in cholesteatoma growth.