Inflammatory cells in chronic middle ear disease. Value of lymphocyte subset determination in ear surgery

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Otolaryngology

Background:

• Lymphoid cell presence and activity vary in different middle ear pathologies.
• Understanding these immune responses is crucial for managing chronic ear disease and post-surgical complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the distribution and activity of lymphoid cell subsets in various middle ear tissues.
• To correlate lymphoid cell profiles with infection status and tissue type (e.g., cholesteatoma, granulation tissue).
• To assess the utility of lymphoid cell analysis in specific clinical scenarios like allograft rejection and chronic otitis media.

Main Methods:

• Biopsy specimens from ear canal epidermis, tympanic membrane, cholesteatoma, and granulation tissue were analyzed.
• Lymphoid cell subsets, including T-cells (Ts/c, Th/i), B-cells, and NK cells, were identified and quantified.
• Immune cell activity was assessed in both infected and uninfected tissues.

Main Results:

• Uninfected squamous epithelium, including cholesteatoma, had few lymphoid cells.
• Infected squamous epithelium exhibited enhanced T-suppressor/cytotoxic (Ts/c) cell activity in the subepithelial layer.
• Granulation tissue showed normal T-helper/inducer (Th/i) cell activity, with B-cells and NK cells present in low numbers.

Conclusions:

• Lymphoid cell subset analysis is valuable for detecting allograft rejection in reconstructed ears.
• This analysis has limited utility in previously unoperated cases of chronic inflammatory middle ear disease.