Involvement of inferior turbinate mucosa in chronic sinusitis--localization of T-cell subset.
BACKGROUND
In chronic sinusitis (CS), different subsets of leukocytes are involved in development of persistent inflammation of the nasal mucosa. The localization and differentiation of these infiltrating lymphocytes may help us to understand the inflammatory interactions in the epithelium, lamina propria, and seromucous glands of the nasal mucosa in CS.


METHODS
We examined frozen sections of inferior turbinates from 14 patients with nonallergic CS and 10 normal nonallergic controls. We used the avidin-biotin-peroxidase (ABC) technique with monoclonal antibodies against CD3 (total T cells), CD4 (T-helper/inducer cells), CD8 (T-suppressor/cytotoxic cells), CD22 (B cells), CD56 (natural killer cells), elastase (neutrophil granulocytes), eosinophil cationic protein (eosinophil granulocytes), and CD68 (macrophages).


RESULTS
We found significant increases (P < 0.05) of CD3, CD4, and CD8 T cells and B cells in the nasal mucosa of patients with CS. The number of CD68 cells and eosinophils showed no significant rise.


CONCLUSIONS
The different types of leukocytes play a key role in the defense of the respiratory tract. The analysis of the distribution of cells in the epithelium, mucosa, and glands of the inferior turbinate confirmed that nonallergic CS is, in fact, chronic, bacterial rhinosinusitis involving the inferior turbinates, and that the pathomechanism is therefore different from that of nasal polyposis.
Grevers
G
G
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Munich, Germany.
Klemens
A
A
Menauer
F
F
Sturm
C
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005088:Exocrine Glands / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018448:Models, Immunological; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000737:chemistry*; D014420:Turbinates