Distribution of respiratory mucin proteins in human nasal mucosa.
OBJECTIVE
The upper respiratory tract is involved in many acute and chronic respiratory tract diseases that present with the symptom of mucus hypersecretion. Mucin genes that encode for the backbone of glycoproteins contribute to the viscoelastic property of airway mucus. We examined the cellular expression and distribution of two major respiratory mucus-forming glycoproteins, MUC5AC and MUC5B, in normal human nasal tissues.


METHODS
Immunohistochemical analysis using polyclonal antibodies against the mucins MUC5AC and MUC5B was performed in normal human nasal tissues.


RESULTS
An abundant staining of submucosal mucus gland and epithelial goblet cells for MUC5B was found. Immunohistochemical analysis of MUC5AC showed staining of surface epithelium goblet cells, whereas there was no staining of glandular cells. Comparison of the expression to lower airways revealed a similar pattern of expression of both mucins.


CONCLUSIONS
The data in the present study demonstrated the localization of the two major respiratory mucin proteins in human nasal mucosa with a similar distribution of expression of MUC5AC and MUC5B in normal upper and lower airways. Mucin protein expression parallels that of mucin messenger RNA expression.
Groneberg
David A
DA
Department of Medicine, Charité School of Medicine, Humboldt University, Charité Campus-Virchow, BMFZ Forum 4 Fach 40, Augustenburger Platz 1, D-13353 Berlin, Germany. david.groneberg@charite.de
Peiser
Christian
C
Dinh
Q Thai
QT
Matthias
John
J
Eynott
Paul R
PR
Heppt
Werner
W
Carlstedt
Ingemar
I
Witt
Christian
C
Fischer
Axel
A
Chung
K Fan
KF
D000208:Acute Disease; D005453:Fluorescence; D020397:Goblet Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D055271:Mucin 5AC; D055257:Mucin-5B; D009077:Mucins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
D007375:Interleukin-1; C524678:MUC5AC protein, human; C524578:MUC5B protein, human; D055271:Mucin 5AC; D055257:Mucin-5B; D009077:Mucins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha