title: Has cerumen a protective role in recurrent external otitis?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the bactericidal activity of the cerumen in patients with recurrent otitis externa.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cerumen samples were collected from 2 groups. Group A (n = 20) consisted of patients with recurrent otitis externa (2 or more acute otitis externa attack in the current year) and group B (n = 30) consisted of cerumen from a healthy population. We examined the bactericidal activity against the common microorganisms (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterococcus) that encounter the recurrent otitis externa.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant decrease in the count of S epidermidis was observed in group A (P <.05) and B (P <.01) was observed. A comparison of decreases and increases in the percentages of microorganisms between the groups A and B showed that there was a significant difference only in the count of E coli (P <or=.05). The count of E coli decreased in cerumen suspension in group A, but it increased in the normal population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We did not confirm that cerumen from patients with recurrent otitis externa had less bactericidal activity than from a healthy population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Mersin, Turkey. yavuzpata@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Yavuz Selim
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Pata
authors.forename: Candan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ozturk
authors.forename: Yucel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akbas
authors.forename: Kemal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gorur
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Unal
authors.forename: Cengiz
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ozcan
mesh_terms: D002571:Cerumen / Q000502:physiology*; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000254:growth & development; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000254:growth & development; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D010032:Otitis Externa / Q000382:microbiology*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000254:growth & development; D012008:Recurrence; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000254:growth & development; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000254:growth & development