Three Innate Cytokine Biomarkers Predict Presence of Acute Otitis Media and Relevant Otopathogens.

Background: 1.1Diagnosis of Acute Otitis Media (AOM) is challenging, resulting in frequent over diagnosis and improper prescription of antibiotics. A serum biomarker of AOM would significantly improve pediatric care for this common illness. Methods: 1.2Serum samples were studied from 197 children 6-36 months old during health, during viral Upper Respiratory Infection (URI) without middle ear involvement, and at the onset of AOM (confirmed by tympanocentesis). Serum concentrations of S100A12, IL-10, and ICAM-1 were measured by ELISA. Otopathogens were identified by culture of middle ear fluid. A predictive model for infection and causative otopathogen was developed based on density distributions of the measured cytokines. Results: 1.3A biomarker score derived from subject age and serum concentrations of S100A12, IL-10, and ICAM-1 was significantly able to distinguish both between health and disease and between upper respiratory infections with and without middle ear involvement (AOM vs URI), and further predicted the specific causative bacterial pathogen. This biomarker could also identify recurrent OM-prone children. Conclusions: 1.4For the first time we show that a biomarker risk score derived from serum cytokine levels can predict the presence of bacterial AOM, the likely Otopathogen, and the recurrent OM-prone child. Clinical significance: 1.