Type 2 Inflammation Linked to Increased risk of Surgery for otitis media effusion: Study
Type 2 inflammation (T2I) was highly predictive of the likelihood to have a surgery performed due to otitis media with effusion (OME). These findings were reported by a study conducted by Yen-Che and colleagues published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Retrospective analysis using data from more than 63,000 patients showed robust evidence that T2I disease was a key player in middle ear disorders.
This study recruited 31,603 patients with T2I disease and 31,603 patients without T2I disease from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database between 2010 and 2019. Patients were matched based on demographic factors to ensure accurate comparisons. The analyses were conducted on risk using t-tests, Cox proportional regression models, Kaplan-Meier estimators, and log-rank tests. The cumulative incidence rates, hazard ratios, and relative risks were all during the follow-up period.
Results
Patients with T2I disease had a significantly higher incidence of OME surgery compared with those without T2I disease:
Adjusted HR of patients with T2I disease for undergoing OME surgery was 9.84 (95% CI, 8.90–10.88).
The adjusted relative risk of the number of OME surgeries for the patients with T2I disease was 11.14 (95% CI, 10.30–12.05).
Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated consistently higher cumulative incidence rates of the patients with T2I disease at all stages of the study (log-rank test: P <.001).
These results clearly demonstrate the important role of T2I in OME progression and failure to respond to conservative therapy to eventually seek surgery.
The study concluded that patients with T2I disease have a substantially increased risk of OME surgery due to failed conservative treatments, placing importance on the role of T2I in middle ear disorders. Recognition and therapeutic approach towards T2I is essential in improving outcomes of patients with OME.
Reference:
Wang YC, Yu YC, Chen SH, Lee JC, Wang TC, Lin HJ, Lin CL, Yao CH, Chen TL, Tsai FJ, Cho DY, Tyler RS. Increased Incidence of Surgical Intervention for Otitis Media With Effusion Among Patients With Type 2 Inflammatory Diseases. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2025 Jan 14:S2213-2198(24)01256-X.
