DKK1 and infectious otitis media: Gene expression study showed a significant increase in the mRNA expression of Wnt (5 folds; P = 0.001), β-catenin (3.8 folds; P = 0.03) and COX-2 (5 folds; P = 0.0002), and a significant decrease in the gene expression of DKK-1 (4 folds; P = 0.0002) in the ‘AOM group’ when compared with the ‘control group’.