Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 18, 2026
Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels
Published on: August 7, 2017
Age-dependent changes in pattern recognition receptor and cytokine mRNA expression in children with otitis media with
Sang Hoon Kim1, Sung Ho Cha2, Young Il Kim3
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Insights
In pediatric otitis media with effusion (OME), pattern recognition receptor (PRR) and cytokine mRNA expression levels vary significantly with age, particularly showing lower levels in children aged 2-7 years.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Pediatrics
- Otolaryngology
Background:
- Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a common pediatric condition.
- Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and cytokines play crucial roles in the immune response.
- Understanding age-dependent immune changes in OME is important for diagnosis and treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-dependent changes in the expression of PRRs and cytokines in pediatric OME.
- To correlate these expression levels with bacterial presence, age, gender, and accompanying diseases.
Main Methods:
- Ninety-five pediatric patients with OME were categorized into four age groups.
- Middle ear fluid was analyzed for bacterial presence.
- mRNA expression levels of various PRRs (e.g., TLRs, NLRs) and cytokines (e.g., IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α) were quantified.
- Statistical analyses were performed to assess correlations with clinical factors.
Main Results:
- Bacteria were detected in 32.6% of OME cases.
- Lower mRNA expression levels of several PRRs and cytokines were observed in children aged 2-7 years compared to younger and older children.
- Specific receptors like TLR-2, TLR-9, NOD-1, NOD-2, and cytokines IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α showed significantly lower expression in the 2-7 year age groups.
- Expression levels of TLR-4, TLR-5, TLR-9, and NOD-1 were lower in bacterial-positive cases.
- No significant correlation was found between PRR/cytokine mRNA expression and gender or accompanying diseases.
Conclusions:
- Age is a significant factor influencing the expression of PRRs and cytokines in pediatric OME.
- The observed age-dependent variations in immune marker expression may impact OME pathogenesis and resolution.
- Further research is warranted to explore the clinical implications of these findings.
Objective:
To investigate age-dependent changes in expression of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and cytokines in pediatric OME.
Materials And Methods:
Ninety five pediatric patients with OME were divided into 4 age groups: 0-2, 2-4, 4-7, and over 7 years. The presence of bacteria, and the levels of expression of mRNAs encoding Toll-like receptor (TLRs), NOD like receptors (NLRs) and cytokines in middle ear fluid were assessed, as were their correlations with age, gender, presence of bacteria and accompanying disease.
Results:
Bacteria were detected in 32.6% of patients. The levels of expression of PRR and cytokine mRNAs tended to be lower in children aged 2-4 and 4-7 years. The levels of expression of TLR-2, TLR-9, NOD-1, NOD-2, IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α mRNAs in effusion fluid were significantly lower in these two groups than in children aged 0-2 and over 7 years (p<0.05 each). The levels of expression of TLR-4, TLR-5, TLR-9, and NOD-1 mRNAs were significantly lower in culture positive than in culture negative patients (p<0.05 each). However, the expression levels of PRR and cytokine mRNAs were unrelated to gender and accompanying disease (p>0.05 each).
Conclusions:
The levels of expression of PRR and cytokine mRNAs differed by age in children with OME.
More Related Videos
07:58Quantitative Imaging of Lineage-specific Toll-like Receptor-mediated Signaling in Monocytes and Dendritic Cells from Small Samples of Human Blood
Published on: April 16, 2012
07:38Isolation of Tonsillar Mononuclear Cells to Study Ex Vivo Innate Immune Responses in a Human Mucosal Lymphoid Tissue
Published on: June 14, 2020
