Hypoxia induced factor-1α levels in patients undergoing adenoidectomy

• Published in: Scandinavian journal of clinical and laboratory investigation 2021-02, Vol.81 (1), p.34-38
• Main Authors: Yucel, Kamile, Aydin, Isa, Erdem, Said Sami
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenoidectomy; Adenoids; Adenoids - pathology; Adenoids - surgery; Child; Female; hemoglobin; Hemoglobins - metabolism; Humans; hypertrophy; hypoxia; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit - metabolism; hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha; Male; Nasopharynx - pathology; receiver operating characteristics; ROC Curve
• ISSN: 0036-5513; 1502-7686
• DOI: 10.1080/00365513.2020.1849786

Among  the most common causes of nasal congestion in childhood is adenoid hypertrophy (AH) which leads to hypoxia. In this study, we studied plasma concentrations of hypoxia induced factor-1α (HIF-1α) in children undergoing adenoidectomy. The study included a total of 86 participants: 39 patients with AH and 47 healthy individuals. Serum HIF-1α levels (ng/mL) were measured by ELISA. HIF-1α concentrations were compared to the adenoid-nasopharyngeal ratio (ANR) of patients with AH, as recorded in the medical records. We found significantly higher concentrations of HIF-1α (0.30 ± 0.47 ng/mL) in patients with AH as compared to healthy controls (0.24 ± 0.07 ng/mL, p = .011). HIF-1α levels were not significantly different regarding gender between patients with AH (p = .77) and in the control group (p = .97). In patients with AH, there was a moderately significant positive correlation between HIF-1α levels and Hb (p = .000), (correlation coefficient r = 0.542). There was a positive correlation between HIF-1α and ANR in patients with AH (p = .005, r = 0.439). This study indicates that AH increases HIF-1α levels. We also observed a moderately significant positive correlation between HIF-1α and ANR in patients with AH. HIF-1α levels are a potential biomarker for hypoxia in patients with AH.