TGFB1 and otitis media: Interestingly, previous reports demonstrated that the up-regulation of TGF-β1 affects the incidence and prognosis of otitis media, which is thought to be the cause of TS, and also promotes the development of fibrosis in various organs, such as the liver, lung, and kidney, which appears to experience similar pathological alterations in TS despite the different tissues involved [14]–[17], thereby implying a possible linkage between fibrosis and TS.