Gene Expression Differences Between Vocal Fold Polyps and Reinke's Edema

ABSTRACT Background Vocal fold polyps and Reinke's edema are among the benign vocal cord lesions. Although they have different pathogeneses, their histological features are similar, making their diagnosis challenging. This study aims to investigate gene expression differences between Reinke's edema and vocal fold polyps to enhance diagnosis and provide insights into their pathophysiological mechanisms. Methods This cross‐sectional study analyzed intraoperative tissue samples from the true vocal folds of patients diagnosed with either Reinke's edema or vocal fold polyps. Using RT‐qPCR, we compared the mRNA expression levels of six genes central to extracellular matrix (ECM) composition and inflammatory processes, namely COL1A1, COL3A1, FN1, MMP‐9, IL‐8, and IL‐1β , between the two patient groups. FDR correction analysis was employed for multiple comparisons. Results A total of 12 vocal fold polyps and 10 of Reinke's edema samples were included in this study. COL1A1, FN1, and MMP‐9 were significantly upregulated in vocal fold polyps compared with Reinke's edema after FDR correction ( q < 0.01). COL3A1, IL‐1β, and IL‐8 showed nominal differences that did not survive multiple‐testing correction and were considered exploratory. Conclusion The findings of the present study revealed the differences in expression levels of genes implicated in inflammation, ECM production, and degradation in tissue samples from patients diagnosed with Reinke's edema and vocal fold polyps. This may lead to facilitated diagnosis and better understanding of these lesions' etiology. Future studies of larger sample sizes, including healthy controls, are warranted to validate our findings. Level of Evidence 3.