Vascular endothelial growth factor and transforming growth factor β in hypertrophic adenoids in children suffering from otitis media with effusion

Abstract

ObjectivesThe study objective was to assess the levels of VEGF-A and TGF-β cytokines in the children with adenoid hypertrophy concomitant with exudative otitis media (OME) and in children with adenoid hypertrophy (HA) alone. MethodsThe study material consisted of hypertrophic adenoids removed during adenoidectomy from 39 children (20 girls and 19 boys), aged 2–7 years suffering from OME. The reference group included 41 children (19 girls and 22 boys), aged from 3 to 9 years with adenoid hypertrophy. The levels of VEGF-A and TGF-β were determined in supernatants obtained from phytohemagglutinin-stimulated cell cultures of the adenoids using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. ResultsThe median VEGF-A and mean TGF-β concentrations in the study group were significantly higher than those in the reference group (503 pg/mL versus 201 pg/mL, P < 0.001 and 224 pg/mL versus 132 pg/mL, P < 0.001, respectively). ROC analysis revealed that the area under the curve (AUC) for VEGF-A was 0.952 with diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 95%, whereas for TGF-β it was 0.902 with 60% sensitivity and the same specificity as for VEGF-A. There was no significant difference between the AUC for VEGF-A and TGF-β (P = 0.573). ConclusionsThe changes in the levels of VEGF-A and TGF-β may indicate bacterial pathogen as one of the causes of exudative otitis media in children. Determination of VEGF-A and TGF-β could be used as additional and objective tests to confirm the clinical diagnosis.