title: Quantitative analysis of interleukin-1-alpha gene expression in middle ear cholesteatoma.
abstract: Regardless of its origin, cholesteatoma is characterized by the presence of a keratinizing epithelium with an hyperproliferative behavior leading to a very important bone resorption. Previous studies have demonstrated overexpression of interleukin-1 (IL-1 protein in middle ear cholesteatoma by immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, suggesting a significant role for IL-1-alpha. In this study, the presence of IL-1-alpha messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) was quantified by in situ hybridization on frozen sections (n = 10) and by computer-assisted image analysis. Human skin obtained from the external ear canal (n = 10) was used as the control. A higher percentage of cells hybridized for the antisense probes IL-1-alpha mRNA was found in cholesteatoma epithelium. Furthermore, keratinocytes of the suprabasal cell layers were also found to contain specific hybridizations. Some cells in cholesteatoma stroma also contained IL-1-alpha mRNA transcripts. The results of this study confirm the central role of IL-1-alpha in the epithelium hyperproliferation and bone resorption observed in middle ear cholesteatoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head-Neck Surgery, Ludwig Maximilians-University of Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bujía
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Boyle
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hammer
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Firestein
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kastenbauer
mesh_terms: D018424:Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015342:DNA Probes; D004848:Epithelium; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes; D007375:Interleukin-1; D012333:RNA, Messenger