Objective: To establish the eventual presence of human beta-defensins (hBD) in middle ea r cholesteatoma and paired retroauricular skin samples obtained during surgical treatment.
Material and methods: hBD were detected using immunohistochemical techniques and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
Results: It is hypothesized that hBD-1 and -2 are upregulated in cholesteatoma in comparison with retroauricular skin. The immunohistochemical study demonstrated stronger hBD-2-positive staining in middle ear cholesteatoma in comparison with retroauricular skin. No significant differences in hBD-1 expression were detected between cholesteatoma and skin samples. RT-PCR established elevated expression of hBD-2 mRNA in middle ear cholesteatomas. HBD-1 mRNA was constitutively expressed in cholesteatoma and retroauricular skin specimens.
Conclusion: These preliminary experimental results lead us to believe that hBD may play an important role in the chronic inflammatory state of middle ear cholesteatoma.