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Review
. 2017 May 24;60(5):1264-1272.
doi: 10.1044/2016_JSLHR-S-16-0326.

Apoptosis and Vocal Fold Disease: Clinically Relevant Implications of Epithelial Cell Death

Carolyn K Novaleski  1 , Bruce D Carter  2 , M Preeti Sivasankar  3 , Sheila H Ridner  4 , Mary S Dietrich  4 , Bernard Rousseau  5
Affiliations
Review

Apoptosis and Vocal Fold Disease: Clinically Relevant Implications of Epithelial Cell Death

Carolyn K Novaleski et al. J Speech Lang Hear Res. .

Abstract

Purpose: Vocal fold diseases affecting the epithelium have a detrimental impact on vocal function. This review article provides an overview of apoptosis, the most commonly studied type of programmed cell death. Because apoptosis can damage epithelial cells, this article examines the implications of apoptosis on diseases affecting the vocal fold cover.

Method: A review of the extant literature was performed. We summarized the topics of epithelial tissue properties and apoptotic cell death, described what is currently understood about apoptosis in the vocal fold, and proposed several possible explanations for how the role of abnormal apoptosis during wound healing may be involved in vocal pathology.

Results and conclusions: Apoptosis plays an important role in maintaining normal epithelial tissue function. The biological mechanisms responsible for vocal fold diseases of epithelial origin are only beginning to emerge. This article discusses speculations to explain the potential role of deficient versus excessive rates of apoptosis and how disorganized apoptosis may contribute to the development of common diseases of the vocal folds.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Schematics of the B cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family of proteins (Panel A) and the intrinsic apoptosis signaling pathway (Panel B). A cell is committed to undergo apoptosis when BAX and BAK are activated (circled in Panel A).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Schematic of the extrinsic apoptosis signaling pathway.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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