Ultrastructural evaluation of biochemical events of bone resorption in human chronic otitis media

Bone resorption is a significant component of chronic inflammatory ear disease. Bone is a unique tissue requiring both demineralization and collagen degradation for breakdown. Mineral removal probably occurs prior to collagen destruction. A localized change in pH may be one of the mechanisms that induces demineralization. Localized accumulations of lysosomal acid hydrolases could provide the acidic environment necessary for mineral removal. The present study utilizes the electron microscope to localize the lysosomal enzyme acid phosphatase in specimens removed from patients with chronic otitis media. Areas of localized bone resorption exhibited mononuclear inflammatory cells attached to the resorption margin. These cells contained abundant acid phosphatase, as did isolated fibroblasts within the zone of inflammation at the resorption margin. Extra cellular acid phosphatase was seen in these areas. Within the bone, osteocytes adjacent to resorption displayed increased cytoplasmic organelle patterns and contained the acid phosphatase reaction. The localization of destructive enzymes in mononuclear inflammatory cells and osteocytes explains the bony destructive changes observed in human chronic otitis media in the absence of multinucleated osteoclasts.