Chemosurgery with trichloroacetic acid for allergic rhinitis: evaluation of the efficacy in terms of inhibition of Th2 cell infiltration.
OBJECTIVE
To examine local inhibition of Th2 cell infiltration as the basis for demonstrating the superior clinical effect of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) treatment for allergic rhinitis.


METHODS
Mirror-image sections of the inferior turbinate mucosae of both sides were obtained from 26 patients who underwent TCA treatment on one side because of the nasal anatomy status and who eventually underwent bilateral inferior turbinectomy because of failure of the TCA treatment. Th2 cell counts, defined as counts of cells positive for anti-CD4 antibody and anti-CKR4 antibody (double-positive cells) were obtained for comparison. The differences between the TCA-treated and non-TCA-treated mucosae were analyzed by Mann-Whitney's U test.


RESULTS
Th2 cell infiltration was characteristically found just beneath the epithelium and in the periglandular areas. The mean count+/-standard deviation of Th2 cells was 4.96+/-2.72 cells/mm(2) in the TCA-treated mucosae and 12.03+/-7.19 cells/mm(2) in the non-treated mucosae, the difference being significant (p<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
TCA treatment induces inhibition of Th2 cell infiltration. This corroborates the suggestion that TCA treatment can inhibit local type I allergic reactions.
Yao
Kazuo
K
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Kanagawa Dental College, 3-31-6 Turuya-cho, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa-ken 221-0835, Japan. yaokazuo@hama.kdcnet.ac.jp
Sato
Kentaro
K
Usui
Daisuke
D
Kurihara
Rika
R
Okamoto
Makito
M
Iguchi
Yoshiaki
Y
Nishiyama
Koichiro
K
D000328:Adult; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000276:immunology; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D002424:Caustics / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D054398:Receptors, CCR4 / Q000187:drug effects; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D014238:Trichloroacetic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; C515354:CCR4 protein, human; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D002424:Caustics; D054398:Receptors, CCR4; D014238:Trichloroacetic Acid