Objective: To explore the pathogenetic mechanism of middle ear cholesteatoma, the aim of this study is to detect the expression of Hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha in middle ear cholesteatoma and normal external ear canal skin.
Method: We used the technology of immunohistochemistry to examine the expression of Hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha in thirty-one middle ear cholesteatomas and ten samples of normal external ear canal skin.
Result: The expression of HIF-1alpha was extremely higher in middle ear cholesteatomas than in normal external ear canal skin (P <0.05).
Conclusion: We found that the higher expression of Hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha in middle ear cholesteatomas, so we think that Hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha play an important role in the pathogenetic process of middle ear cholesteatoma, and hypoxia may be an incentive in the pathogenetic mechanism of middle ear cholesteatoma.