중이 진주종에서 형질전환성장인자 α 및 β의 발현에 관한 연구

Background and Objectives: The cholesteatoma consists of keratinizing squamous epithelium in middle ear cavity. These abnormal behavior of cholesteatoma epithelium seems to be induced by presence of a heavy immune cell infiltrate releasing different cytokines and growth factor in high amount. Materials and Method: This study investigated the presence of transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF- α), beta (TGF- β) in the mucosa of cholesteatoma specimens of human middle ear cholesteatoma tissue (N =17) and external auditory canal skin were obtained from patients during ear surgery as a control group. Results: Immunostaining for TGF- α showed a cytoplasmic staining pattern in epithelial cells of normal skin and cholesteatoma. In normal skin samples the expression of TGF- α was restricted to epithelial cells in the basal layer and parabasal layer but all epithelial cell layers in cholesteatoma were positive with prominent staining of the basal cells. A number of infiltrated cells in cholesteatoma matrix also expressed TGF- α immunostaining. Cholesteatoma tissue showed a strongly enhanced expression of TGF- β in lymphocytes and fibroblasts of stroma, particularly in an area of heavy inflammatory infiltration. Conclusion: According to the well known roles of the TGF- α and β, these results suggest that TGF- α is an important factor for the hyperproliferative behavior of cholesteatoma epithelium and TGF- β protect the infiltration into the matrix of cholesteatoma. (J Clinical Otolaryngol 1999;10:178–183)