Detection of GSK-3β activation index in pediatric chronic tonsillitis is an indicator for chronic recurrent inflammation

Purpose: Chronic tonsillitis (TC) is among the most common bacterial diseases in pediatric otolaryngology. We aimed to evaluate the expression of glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK-3 beta) in a cohort of children with chronic tonsillitis (TC), and the correlation between GSK-3 beta activity index and inflammatory profiles of TC. Materials and methods: The expression of GSK-3 beta was comparably evaluated between children with TC (n = 26) and tonsillar hypertrophy (TH, n = 26). GSK-3 beta expression was detected by immunohistochemistry, RT-qPCR, and Western blot. The inflammatory profiles between the TC and TH groups were also evaluated. Results: We found that while GSK-3 beta was highly expressed in both TC and TH groups, no significant difference were detected at mRNA and protein levels between groups. The protein level of p-GSK-3 beta was significantly lower in the TC group as compared to the TH group. Additionally, the inflammatory markers, including NF-kappa B, T-bet, and IFN-gamma were higher in the TC group compared to TH group. The GSK-3 beta activation index was positively correlated with the levels of NF-kappa B, T-bet, and IFN-gamma in the TC group. Conclusions: Our findings suggested that GSK-3 beta activation index was demonstrated to be a clinically applicable indicator for chronic recurrent inflammation in pediatric TC.