Prostaglandins and secretory otitis media.

The biochemical characteristics of middle ear effusion reflect the inflammatory changes in the middle ear cavity. In this study, prostaglandins (PGE2, TXB2, 6-keto-PGF1α) in middle ear effusions of patients with secretory otitis media were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA).Fifty samples of middle ear effusion were obtained from 45 patients aged 3 to 76 years who were divided into three groups; 1) children (23 samples; mucoid 19, serous 4), 2) adults (18 samples; mucoid 2, serous 16), and 3) patients with cholesterol granuloma (9 samples).Middle ear effusions in groups 1 and 3 contained higher concentrations of pros taglandins (PGE2, TXB2) than these in group 2. Even in group 2, however, the concentration of PGE2 was higher in the middle ear effusions than in the serum.These results suggest that prostaglandins play an active role in maintaining the inflammatory response in the middle ear, especially in children and in patients with cholesterol granuloma