Expression of C-type lectin receptor mRNA in otitis media with effusion and chronic otitis media with and without cholesteatoma.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) are a family of pattern recognition receptors (PRPs). The expression of CLRs has been analyzed in other diseases but has not yet been compared in patients with otitis media with effusion (OME), chronic otitis media (COM) and COM with cholesteatoma (Chole OM). This study therefore evaluated the levels of expression of mRNAs encoding Dectin-1, MR1, MR2, DC-SIGN, Syk, Card-9, Bcl-10, Malt-1, Src, DEC-205, Tim-3, Trem-1, and DAP-12 in patients with OME, COM, and Chole OM.

METHODS: CLR mRNA levels in patients with OME, COM, and Chole OM were assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The level of expression of each mRNA was compared in patients with and without bacteria, and in patients with conductive hearing loss (CHL) and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL).

RESULTS: The patterns of expression of CLRs differed in patients with OME, COM, and Chole OM. Galectin-1 mRNA level was significantly higher in the COM than in the Chole OM group (p<0.05), and MR1 and Galectin-1 mRNA levels among patients with CHL were significantly higher in those with COM than with Chole OM (p<0.05). Galectin-1 mRNA level among patients with SNHL was also significantly higher in the COM than in the Chole OM group (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: The levels of expression of mRNAs encoding the CLRs Dectin-1, MR1, MR2, DC-SIGN, Syk, Card-9, Bcl-10, Malt-1, Src, DEC-205, Tim-3, Trem-1 and DAP-12 differ among patients with OME, COM, and Chole OM.