Material and methods:

a case-control study was carried out; serum and tissue CD26 levels were measured. The characteristics of the cases (patients with tracheal stenosis) versus controls (healthy) were compared, as well as associations between serum DPP-4 and surgical variables (bleeding, complications, type of anastomosis, etc.); subsequently, a logistic regression model was performed to evaluate the association of DPP-4-S and the presence of OTIS. The expression of DPP-4 and myofibroblasts in tracheal tissue was also qualitatively evaluated.

Results:

22 cases and 22 controls were analyzed. In the analysis of the cases, no differences were found between pre-surgical and three months post-surgical DPP-4-S levels. In the logistic regression analysis, DPP-4-S levels did not show adequate sensitivity and specificity to discriminate OTIS; the expression of myofibroblasts in the tracheal tissue analyzed by immunofluorescence revealed an increase in their expression.

Conclusions:

under the conditions of this study, DPP-4-S levels did not adequately discriminate cases of OTIS, although its expression was found to increase in tracheal tissue, and it cannot be ruled out that it may serve as a therapeutic target in the early stages of tracheal stenosis secondary to orotracheal intubation or before its formation.