BPIFA1 Gene Expression in the Human Middle Ear Mucosa.

OBJECTIVE

The bactericidal/permeability-increasing, fold-containing family member A1 (BPIFA1) gene codes a secretory protein (BPIFA1), which is present in the respiratory tract mucosa, and is part of the innate immune system. This study aimed to prove that BPIFA1 gene expression exists in the human middle ear mucosa.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In total, 32 patients participated in the study between March 2016 and September 2016. Seventeen patients had chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma (COMC) and 15 had bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (BSHL). The patients with COMC underwent radical mastoidectomy with cholesteatoma removal and those with BSHL underwent cochlear implantation. Part of the processus mastoideus mucosa was examined for BPIFA1 gene expression and the two groups were compared.

RESULTS

For the first time, BPIFA1 gene expression was examined in the mucosa of the human middle ear, and it was verified in 100% (n=32) of the participants. We confirmed that there is a difference in the BPIFA1 expression in 83.33% of the patients with COMC compared to the patients with BSHL but this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.947; probably due to the low number of participants in this group).

CONCLUSION

It is highly likely that the BPIFA1 protein participates in the non-specific immune defense of the middle ear and is relevant to the pathogenesis of the inflammatory diseases of the middle ear.