gms | German Medical Science

GMS Current Posters in Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery

German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (DGHNOKHC)

ISSN 1865-1038

Role of hexosaminidase in the pathogenesis of cholesteatoma

Poster

  • corresponding author Slawomir Olszewski - Department of Pharmaceutical Biochemistry Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
  • Ewa Olszewska - Department of Otolaryngology Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
  • Malgorzata Borzym- Kluczyk - Department of Pharmaceutical Biochemistry Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
  • Krzysztof Zwierz - Department of Pharmaceutical Biochemistry Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland

GMS Curr Posters Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2007;3:Doc38

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/journals/cpo/2007-3/cpo000303.shtml

Published: April 25, 2007

© 2007 Olszewski et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.


Outline

Abstract

Introduction: Cholesteatoma is a destructive lesion that leads to the destruction of adjacent structures. The aim of our study was to demonstrate the activity of N-acetylo-β-D-hexosaminidase (HEX) in cholesteatoma and normal retroauricular skin and the possible correlation between HEX activity and bone resorption in cholesteatoma.

Material and Methods: After removal, cholesteatomas and normal adult retroauricular skin were immediately frozen in – 80degrees C. To assess the enzymes activities Chatterjee et al. method in the modification of Zwierz et al. was used.

Results: In 20 of 21 specimens we observed significantly higher activity of investigated enzyme in cholesteatoma tissue compared with that in normal skin. Release of HEX from the activated cells ranged from 1.08 to 5.57 fold as compared to controls. In one cholesteatoma specimen, the activity of HEX was 5.57 and in four cholesteatoma specimens, was 3.02 to 3.34 fold higher than in the skin. In these five cases the history of chronic otitis media ranged from 4 to 6 years, the granulation tissue and purulent otorrhea were present and more intense than in the other cases. The destruction of malleus and long process of incus were observed.

Conclusions: Hex may play an important role in bone resorption in the area adjacent to cholesteatoma. It may be considered as a new pathogenetic factor in that destructive lesion. Further studies will be conducted on the correlation between the HEX activities and the local inflammatory infiltrate.