Exploring the Pathophysiology of Reinke's Edema: The Cellular Impact of Cigarette Smoke and Vibration

Objectives To explore the isolated or combined effects of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) and vibration on human vocal fold fibroblasts (hVFF) in an in vitro setting in order to elucidate their influence in the pathophysiology of Reinke's edema (RE). Study design Immortalized hVFF were exposed to CSE or control medium under static or vibrational conditions. A phonomimetic bioreactor was used to deliver vibrational patterns to hVFF over a period of 5 days. Methods Cytotoxicity was quantified using a lactate dehydrogenase assay. We employed reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and Magnetic Luminex((R))assays (R&D Systems, Minneapolis, MN) to assess the influence on extracellular matrix production, fibrogenesis, inflammation, and angiogenesis. Results We observed significant changes induced by CSE alone (hyaluronic acid, matrix metalloproteinase 1, Interleukin-8, cyclooxygenase [COX]1, COX2, vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF]D), as well as settings in which only the combination of CSE and vibration led to significant changes (transforming growth factor beta 1, VEGFA, VEGFC). Also, CSE-induced levels of COX2 were only significantly reduced when vibration was applied. Conclusion We were able to explore the cellular effects of CSE and vibration on hVFF by employing a phonomimetic bioreactor. Whereas cigarette smoke is generally accepted as a risk factor for RE, the role of vibration remained unclear as it is difficult to study in humans. Our data showed that some genes and proteins in the pathophysiological context of RE were only affected when CSE in combination with vibration was applied. Level of Evidence NALaryngoscope, 2020

Automated summary

This study investigated the isolated or combined effects of cigarette smoke extract and vibration on human vocal fold fibroblasts in an in vitro setting, revealing their influence on the pathophysiology of Reinke's edema. Some genes and proteins in the context of RE were only significantly affected when CSE in combination with vibration was applied.