title: Age-dependent changes in pattern recognition receptor and cytokine mRNA expression in children with otitis media with effusion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate age-dependent changes in expression of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and cytokines in pediatric OME.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety five pediatric patients with OME were divided into 4 age groups: 0-2, 2-4, 4-7, and over 7 years. The presence of bacteria, and the levels of expression of mRNAs encoding Toll-like receptor (TLRs), NOD like receptors (NLRs) and cytokines in middle ear fluid were assessed, as were their correlations with age, gender, presence of bacteria and accompanying disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bacteria were detected in 32.6% of patients. The levels of expression of PRR and cytokine mRNAs tended to be lower in children aged 2-4 and 4-7 years. The levels of expression of TLR-2, TLR-9, NOD-1, NOD-2, IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α mRNAs in effusion fluid were significantly lower in these two groups than in children aged 0-2 and over 7 years (p<0.05 each). The levels of expression of TLR-4, TLR-5, TLR-9, and NOD-1 mRNAs were significantly lower in culture positive than in culture negative patients (p<0.05 each). However, the expression levels of PRR and cytokine mRNAs were unrelated to gender and accompanying disease (p>0.05 each).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The levels of expression of PRR and cytokine mRNAs differed by age in children with OME.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.affiliation: Medical Science Research Institute, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young Il
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Yong
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Byun
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Moon Suh
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Medical Science Research Institute, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: yeo2park@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Seung Geun
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Yeo
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D051192:Receptors, Pattern Recognition / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051192:Receptors, Pattern Recognition
keywords: Cytokine; Innate immunity; Otitis media with effusion; Toll-like receptor