title: Lymphocyte subsets and antigen-specific IgE antibody in nasal polyps.
abstract: We tried to elucidate the role of allergic factors in the pathogenesis of nasal polyps. Nasal polyps were obtained from 22 patients with chronic sinusitis which included eight patients proved to have nasal allergy by history, skin test, and serum-specific IgE against houst dust mite. Immunohistochemical studies of lymphocyte subpopulations in the mucosa of nasal polyps were performed with monoclonal antibodies, and the concentrations of antigen-specific IgE in nasal polyps were measured by the fluoroallergosorbent test. In the epithelium, few HLA-DR+ cells were constantly present. In the submucosa, pan T cell marker CD2 was detected more often than CD19 (B cell), and more CD8 (T suppressor/cytotoxic) cells than CD4 (T helper/inducer) cells were found. IgE-producing plasma cells were rarely present. The lymphocyte subpopulations and the levels of antigen-specific IgE in nasal polyps were not different between the allergic and nonallergic groups. This suggests that allergy may not be the cause, and cellular immunity of antigen presenting cells and T lymphocytes, which consecutively induce infiltration and degranulation of mast cells by the production of cytokines, may be involved in the formation of nasal polyps with sinusitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Shun
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Hsu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis*; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D008925:Mites / Q000276:immunology; D009298:Nasal Polyps / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D007073:Immunoglobulin E