Topical antigen provocation increases the number of immunoreactive IL-4-, IL-5- and IL-6-positive cells in the nasal mucosa of patients with perennial allergic rhinitis.
To evaluate the role of Th2-type cytokines in the nasal mucosa which has been repeatedly exposed to antigen, an immunohistological study for IL-4, IL-5 and IL-6 was performed in patients with perennial allergic rhinitis and non allergic rhinosinusitis. The numbers of immunoreactive (ir)-IL-4, ir-IL-5 and ir-IL-6-positive cells were significantly higher in allergic mucosa than in nonallergic mucosa. In allergic mucosa, the numbers of these ir-cytokine-positive cells were significantly higher in the antigen-challenged site than in the control site. When the patients were divided into an early group (4-6 h after challenge) and a later group (15-25 h after challenge), only the change of ir-IL-4-positive cells was remarkable in the former group, whereas those of the ir-IL-4, ir-IL-5 and ir-IL-6-positive cells were significant in the latter group. These results suggest that antigen-induced upregulation of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-6 is important in the pathogenesis of perennial allergic rhinitis.
Saito
H
H
Department of Otolaryngology, Sapporo Medical University, Japan.
Asakura
K
K
Ogasawara
H
H
Watanabe
M
M
Kataura
A
A
D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000941:Antigens / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002452:Cell Count; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism*; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000378:metabolism*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D009299:Nasal Provocation Tests; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
D000941:Antigens; D015848:Interleukin-5; D015850:Interleukin-6; D015847:Interleukin-4