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Updated: Nov 10, 2025
Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels
Published on: August 7, 2017
Decreased miRNA-320e correlates with allergy in children with otitis media with effusion
Paulina Adamczyk1, Beata Narożna2, Aleksandra Szczepankiewicz2
1Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Szpitalna 27/33 60-572 Poznań, Poland.
Objective:
Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a common childhood disease and the main cause of conductive hearing loss in this age group. Many factors predispose to OME but allergy is still widely disputed. The answer may lay in the molecular mechanisms of ear exudate formation and the recent studies showed miRNAs might take part in it. MiRNAs are also potent regulators of allergic response. As miRNAs are present in the middle ear, we hypothesized their expression differs between allergic and non-allergic patients and reflects the difference in pathomechanism of effusion formation between these two groups.
Materials And Methods:
This study aimed to establish the expression of 5 different miRNAs (miR-223-3p, miR-451a, miR-16-5p, miR-320e, miR-25-3p) in ear exudates in children diagnosed with OME. The allergy group consisted of 18 patients whereas the non-allergic group had 36 patients. MicroRNA was isolated from the middle ear fluid collected during myringotomy and transcribed into cDNA. MiRNA expression was measured with TaqMan™ MicroRNA Assays and analyzed with DataAssist software. The comparative CT method was used for calculating the relative quantification of gene expression based on the endogenous control gene expression (U6 snRNA-001973).
Results:
MiR-320e expression was significantly decreased in allergic children with OME. Other studied miRNAs also showed reduced expression in allergic children, but the decrease was not significant.
Conclusions:
MiRNA expression differs between children with and without allergy in the course of OME, but further studies are needed to explain the exact role of miR-320e and its target genes in OME pathology in allergic patients.
Insights
MicroRNA (miRNA) expression in middle ear fluid differs between allergic and non-allergic children with otitis media with effusion (OME). Specifically, miR-320e levels were significantly lower in allergic children, suggesting a role in OME.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a leading cause of conductive hearing loss in children.
- The role of allergy in OME pathogenesis is debated.
- MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are implicated in allergic responses and may influence middle ear effusion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate differential miRNA expression in middle ear effusions from allergic and non-allergic children with OME.
- To explore the potential role of miRNAs in the distinct molecular mechanisms of OME in allergic versus non-allergic individuals.
Main Methods:
- Quantification of 5 specific miRNAs (miR-223-3p, miR-451a, miR-16-5p, miR-320e, miR-25-3p) in middle ear fluid from 54 children with OME.
- miRNA isolation, cDNA transcription, and expression analysis using TaqMan™ MicroRNA Assays.
- Relative gene expression calculated via the comparative CT method using U6 snRNA as a control.
Main Results:
- Significantly decreased expression of miR-320e was observed in the middle ear effusions of allergic children with OME.
- Other tested miRNAs showed a trend towards reduced expression in allergic children, but did not reach statistical significance.
Conclusions:
- MiRNA expression profiles in middle ear effusions differ between allergic and non-allergic children with OME.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the specific function of miR-320e and its targets in allergic OME.
- These findings may offer insights into the molecular basis of OME in allergic pediatric populations.
