title: Interleukin-8 concentration predicts the neutrophil count in middle ear effusion.
abstract: Interleukin-8 (IL-8), a potent neutrophilic chemoattractant and inflammatory cytokine, is present in middle ear effusions (MEEs) of children with otitis media and is thought to be responsible for the accumulation of neutrophils in MEEs. We hypothesized that IL-8 concentration predicts the total number and proportion of neutrophils in MEEs. IL-8 concentration and total and differential cell counts were measured in MEEs of children undergoing tympanostomy tube placement for otitis media. IL-8 was present in 80 (98%) of 82 effusions. The mean +/- SEM value for IL-8 was 7342 +/- 847 pg/mL. The mean +/- SEM count and percentage of neutrophils were 1.34 x 10(6) +/- 3.44 x 10(5) and 70.6 +/- 3.1%, respectively. IL-8 concentrations correlated positively with the total number (r = +0.30; P = 0.02) and percentage of neutrophils (r = +0.32; P = 0.01) in the effusion. Additionally, purulent effusions had greater IL-8 concentrations (P = 0.003) and greater neutrophil count (P = 0.03) than mucoid or serous effusions. We conclude that IL-8 is consistently present in MEEs of children and IL-8 concentration predicts the total number and proportion of neutrophils. Furthermore, IL-8 concentration and the total number of neutrophils correlate positively with the type of effusion. These results support the hypothesis that IL-8 recruits neutrophils to the middle ear in MEEs.
authors.affiliation: Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque 87131-5341, U.S.A.
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Nassif
authors.forename: S Q
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Izzo
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Nicklaus
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002452:Cell Count; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000032:analysis*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008264:Macrophages / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008876:Middle Ear Ventilation; D009000:Monocytes / Q000473:pathology; D009093:Mucus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000473:pathology*; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D010035:Otitis Media, Suppurative / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D016209:Interleukin-8