Oxidative stress in ear nose and throat diseases: antioxidant agents and future perspectives

Abstract

Oxidative stress, defined as the imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant defences, is now known to be directly involved in the pathogenesis of numerous pathologies. Nevertheless, the extent to which redox imbalance participates in the development or progression of oxidative stress-related diseases is still not fully understood. Therefore, determining whether it plays a primary or secondary role remains challenging; this could have important therapeutical implications since understanding the mechanisms underlying the correlation between oxidative stress and the pathogenesis of the related pathologies could allow to correctly define therapeutic targets and address therapeutic choices. This brief review aims to summarize the relationship between oxidative stress and the development and progression of several diseases, focusing on ear, nose and throat (ENT) pathologies and highlighting the future perspectives of antioxidant treatments.