Monocyte chemotactic protein expression in allergy and non-allergy-associated chronic sinusitis.
OBJECTIVE
Chronic sinusitis (CS) is characterized by inflammatory mucosal thickening and polyp formation with a predominantly eosinophilic infiltrate. Chemokines are a novel group of inflammatory mediators capable of attracting specific inflammatory cell populations. Monocyte chemotactic proteins (MCP) are a subfamily of chemokines (MCP-1, MCP-2, MCP-3, and MCP-4) that share a number of functional properties including chemotactic activity for eosinophils. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of the MCP family of chemokines in allergy and non-allergy-associated chronic sinusitis using the technique of immunocytochemistry.


METHODS
We examined the expression of MCP-1, MCP-3, and MCP-4 in biopsies from the ethmoid sinuses of patients with CS and normal controls.


RESULTS
MCPs were localized to the epithelial cells and a subset of inflammatory cells within the mucosa. The expression of both MCP-3 and MCP-4 immunoreactivity were significantly increased in patients with both allergy and non-allergy-associated CS compared to normal controls (p < .001). There was no significant difference in the expression of MCP-1 in nasal biopsies from individuals with CS and normals. The level of expression of MCP-3 and MCP-4 correlated with eosinophil (p < .001) and CD4-positive T-cell infiltrate (p < .001) but not with CD8-positive T-cell infiltration.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest biologic redundancy in the expression of eosinophil chemoattractants in CS and a potential role for MCP-3 and MCP-4, but not MCP-1, in the pathophysiology of this disorder. Further, chemokines may be a common link between the eosinophilia of allergy-associated and non-allergy-associated CS, a finding that may have therapeutic implications.
Wright
E D
ED
Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Montreal.
Frenkiel
S
S
Ghaffar
O
O
al-Ghamdi
K
K
Luster
A
A
Miotto
D
D
Hamid
Q
Q
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002465:Cell Movement; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000473:pathology; D015521:Ethmoid Sinusitis / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000150:complications; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018945:Monocyte Chemoattractant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
D018945:Monocyte Chemoattractant Proteins; D007073:Immunoglobulin E