Identification of the immune receptor CD14 in hypertrophic adenoids

Objective: Tonsils and adenoids are the parts of the Waldeyer’s ring. Their basic function is antibody formation which later reacts against a great variety of antigens. Adenoidectomy is the most common operation in small children but the exact reasons of adenoid hypertrophy remain unknown. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating CD14 as surrogate marker of inflammation in children who have to undergo adenoidectomy. Methods: One hundred pediatric patients with adenoid hypertrophy were included in this study. Intensity of CD14 expression in infiltrating cells was assessed by immunohistochemical methods. Results: All of the 100 patients underwent adenoidectomies due to chronic adenoid inflammation and hypertrophy. After immunohistochemical analysis, all the specimens were stained as positive (100%) for CD14 expression. Classification of these specimens according to CD14 staining intensity were as follows: 0 as score 0, 36 as score 1, 43 as score 2 and, 21 as score 3. On the other hand, we found statistically significant association between CD14 and age. Conclusion: In the present study, we showed an increase in the density of CD14 with increasing age.