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Published on: December 17, 2011
Cellular proliferation of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue with otitis media: a preliminary study
Shin-ichi Haginomori1, Carey D Balaban, Makoto Miura
1Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.
Insights
Cellular proliferation in mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) of the temporal bone varied with otitis media (OM) type. Mucous OM showed significant MALT proliferation, suggesting an active immune response, unlike serous OM or healthy tissues.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Otolaryngology
- Histopathology
Background:
- The immune system's role in the temporal bone, particularly mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT), is crucial for responding to infections like otitis media (OM).
- Understanding MALT's cellular proliferation is key to deciphering immune responses within the middle ear and eustachian tube.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cellular proliferation of MALT in human temporal bones.
- To correlate MALT proliferation with different types of otitis media (OM): purulent, mucous, and serous.
- To assess the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) as a marker for cellular proliferation.
Main Methods:
- Histopathologic and immunohistochemical analyses were performed on human temporal bones.
- Anti-PCNA antibody (clone PC10) was used to detect cellular proliferation.
- Specimens were categorized based on the presence and type of OM (purulent, mucous, serous) or absence thereof.
Main Results:
- PCNA expression varied significantly across OM types.
- Mucous OM showed moderate to strong PCNA expression, predominantly in germinal centers (GCs) and mucosal layers, indicating active proliferation.
- Purulent OM exhibited moderate, scattered PCNA expression with faint GCs, while serous OM showed weak, scattered PCNA expression, similar to MALT in non-OM temporal bones.
Conclusions:
- MALT cellular proliferation in the temporal bone may reflect secretory IgA production against foreign antigens.
- The observed PCNA expression patterns suggest varying levels of immune activity associated with different OM types.
- Further research is needed to confirm the association between MALT PCNA expression in the eustachian tube and middle ear and mucosal immune responses during OM.
Abstract:
Histopathologic and immunohistochemical analyses were used to investigate the cellular proliferation of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) in human temporal bones with and without evidence of otitis media (OM). Anti-proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) antibody (clone PC10) was applied after the antigen retrieval procedure. Positive PCNA expression was observed in temporal bones that had been stored for 10 to 31 years in 80% ethanol. In specimens with purulent OM, the MALT had faint germinal centers (GCs). Positive PCNA expression in the MALT was moderate and scattered. In specimens with mucous OM, the MALT had complete GCs. Positive PCNA expression in the MALT was moderate to strong, and the distribution of PCNA-positive cells was associated predominantly in the GCs, the mucosal epithelial layer, and/or the subepithelial layer. In specimens with serous OM, the MALT also had complete GCs. However, the PCNA expression was weak and scattered, and appeared to be similar to that of the MALT in the temporal bones without OM. These results indicate that the cellular proliferation of MALT in the temporal bone might reflect the activity that produces secretory IgA against invasion of foreign antigens. However, further studies are needed to elucidate whether the PCNA expression within MALT in the eustachian tube and middle ear is associated with a mucosal immune response to inflammation as in OM.
