Journal of Inflammation Research (Jan 2021)
Laryngopharyngeal Reflux and Inflammatory Responses in Mucosal Barrier Dysfunction of the Upper Aerodigestive Tract
Abstract
Danling Liu,1,* Tingting Qian,1,* Shan Sun,1 Jack J Jiang1,2 1Otorhinolaryngology Department, ENT Institute, Eye & ENT Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, NHC Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine Research, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, WI 53792-7375, USA*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Shan Sun Email [email protected] J Jiang Email [email protected]: The upper aerodigestive tract (UAT) is the first line of defense against environmental stresses such as antigens, microbes, inhalants, foods, etc., and mucins, intracellular junctions, epithelial cells, and immune cells are the major constituents of this defensive mucosal barrier. Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is recognized as an independent risk factor for UAT mucosal disorders, and in this review, we describe the components and functions of the mucosal barrier and the results of LPR-induced mucosal inflammation in the UAT. We discuss the interactions between the refluxate and the mucosal components and the mechanisms through which these damaging events disrupt and alter the mucosal barriers. In addition, we discuss the dynamic alterations in the mucosal barrier that might be potential therapeutic targets for LPR-induced disorders.Keywords: laryngopharyngeal reflux, LPR, upper aerodigestive tract, UAT, inflammatory response, mucosal barrier dysfunction
