Glucocorticoid therapy increases COX-2 gene expression in nasal polyps in vivo.
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the in vivo regulation of cyclooxygenase-2 in nasal polyps. In total, 65 patients with nasal polyps were randomly (3:1) treated with (n = 51; 33 with asthma) or without (n = 14) oral prednisone and intranasal budesonide for 2 weeks plus intranasal budesonide for 10 additional weeks. Biopsies were obtained at baseline and after 2 and 12 weeks of treatment. All samples were analysed for cyclooxygenase-1 and cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA. Attempts were made to detect cyclooxygenase-2 protein. At baseline, cyclooxygenase-1 and cyclooxygenase-2 expression did not differ between polyps from nonasthmatic and asthmatic patients. Cyclooxygenase-1 mRNA was unchanged by glucocorticoid treatment, while cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA increased in glucocorticoid-treated patients at week 2 compared with baseline and then decreased at week 12. Within subgroups, increased cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA was found at week 2 in polyps from nonasthmatic and asthmatic patients compared with baseline. At week 12, cyclooxygenase-2 expression remained high in nonasthmatics while it decreased in asthmatics. Cyclooxygenase-2 protein was not detected under any circumstances. Glucocorticoid therapy enhances cyclooxygenase-2 expression in vivo in nasal polyps, a finding that does not follow the generally accepted assumption that cyclooxygenase-2 expression is suppressed by glucocorticoids.
Pujols
L
L
Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Benitez
P
P
Alobid
I
I
Martinez-Antón
A
A
Roca-Ferrer
J
J
Mullol
J
J
Picado
C
C
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D001706:Biopsy; D019819:Budesonide / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009298:Nasal Polyps / Q000378:metabolism*; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019819:Budesonide; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D011241:Prednisone