title: Pulse steroid therapy inhibits murine subglottic granulation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Using a functional model of airway granulation tissue in subglottic stenosis, we investigated changes in inflammatory markers within granulation tissue in response to intraperitoneal dexamethasone injections. Changes in inflammatory markers will allow us to identify potential targets for immunological therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee-approved animal study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center animal research facility.
  
  
  METHODS
  Laryngotracheal complexes of donor mice underwent direct airway injury and were transplanted into subcutaneous tissue of 19 recipient mice in 2 groups: steroid treated and untreated, with sample sizes of 10 and 9, respectively. The steroid-treated arm received intraperitoneal injection of dexamethasone for 3 weeks. Laryngotracheal complexes were then harvested, and granulation formation was measured. The messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β(1) and interleukin (IL)-1 was quantified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 3 weeks posttransplantation, there were statistically significant differences in observable granulation formation as well as mRNA expression of TGF-β(1) and IL-1β in all groups within the steroid treated arm as compared with the untreated arm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Systemic steroids have been used to prevent formation of granulation tissue and subglottic stenosis. However, the study of the immunologic markers and the corresponding changes with steroid treatment has not been well studied in animal models. Using a previously described novel murine model, we begin to delineate inflammatory markers that can be applied for potential therapeutic targets.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. ankonag@mail.med.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Ankona
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: Genevieve
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Philiponis
authors.forename: Jennifer Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kevin P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Leahy
authors.forename: Sunil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Singhal
authors.forename: Noam A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Natasha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mirza
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006097:Granulation Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000378:metabolism; D007829:Laryngostenosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D003907:Dexamethasone