Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology 1735-1502 16 6 2017 12 23 520 524 EN Ahmad Yeghaneh Moghaddam Department of ENT, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran Rezvan Talaei Autoimmune Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran Hassan Nikoueinejad Department of Immunology, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND Nephrology and Urology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Hossein Akbari Trauma Research center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran 2017 02 18 2017 06 28 Serous otitis media with effusion (OME) is a middle ear inflammatory response to allergens and microbes which stimulate leukocytes to produce different inflammatory mediators after obstruction of Eustachian tube. Here, we investigated the levels of these mediators, IL-17 and IL-23, in serum and middle ear fluids of children with OME. 75 patients with otitis media and 75 age and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled in this study. IL-17 and IL-23 levels in serous secretion of the patients and their serum levels were measured in both groups by ELISA. Serum IL-17 levels were significantly higher in the patients than controls (p=0.001). There was no significant difference between serum IL-23 levels in patients and controls. Patients’ serous levels of both cytokines of IL-17 and IL-23 were higher than those in serum according to different parameters of sex, age, and duration of the disease. This study shows an elevated presence of IL-17 and IL-23, as pro inflammatory cytokines, in OME. These finding may represent the contribution of such cytokines in the pathogenesis of OME. Blocking such molecules may yield new non-surgical therapeutics.  https://ijaai.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijaai/article/view/1320 https://ijaai.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijaai/article/download/1320/778