Quantitative analysis of eotaxin and RANTES messenger RNA in nasal polyps: association of tissue and nasal eosinophils.
OBJECTIVE
Nasal polyps develop in the ethmoidal and middle turbinate area, often in relation to inflammatory conditions. Their exact etiology and pathogenesis are still under debate. Histologically, the polyps are infiltrated by a number of inflammatory cells, with eosinophil predominating in most specimens. This finding suggests that the nasal polyp is an inflammatory growth that is controlled by the local environment. The chemokines eotaxin and RANTES (regulated on activation normal T cell expressed and secreted) have been postulated to be involved in the recruitment and activation of eosinophils to certain inflamed tissues. The purpose of this study was to investigate eotaxin and RANTES mRNA expression in nasal polyps and its effect on tissue and nasal eosinophils.


METHODS
Nasal polyps (917 allergic and 30 nonallergic cases) were obtained from endoscopic sinus surgery, and 15 normal inferior turbinates also were taken. Immunohistochemical staining for eosinophils and quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests for eotaxin and RANTES mRNA expression were performed, and the concentration of nasal eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) was measured.


RESULTS
The amounts of eotaxin mRNA in the allergic nasal polyps were 11.4 times higher and the levels in the nonallergic polyps were 6.4 times higher than in the normal inferior turbinate. However, the RANTES mRNA expression did not show any differences among the three groups. Tissue eosinophilia and nasal ECP levels were significantly correlated with eotaxin mRNA level but not with RANTES mRNA expression.


CONCLUSIONS
Nasal polyp eosinophilic infiltration and activation correlate mainly with increased eotaxin gene expression rather than with RANTES expression.
Shin
S H
SH
Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, Catholic University of Taegu-Hyosung College of Medicine, Korea.
Park
J Y
JY
Jeon
C H
CH
Choi
J K
JK
Lee
S H
SH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D054413:Chemokine CCL11; D019742:Chemokines, CC; D002631:Chemotactic Factors, Eosinophil / Q000032:analysis*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis*; D047091:Eosinophil Granule Proteins; D004804:Eosinophils; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000032:analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009298:Nasal Polyps / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis*; D012260:Ribonucleases
D001798:Blood Proteins; C515456:CCL11 protein, human; D054413:Chemokine CCL11; D019742:Chemokines, CC; D002631:Chemotactic Factors, Eosinophil; D016207:Cytokines; D047091:Eosinophil Granule Proteins; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012260:Ribonucleases