The comparison of histopathological characteristics of polyps in asthmatic and nonasthmatic patients.
BACKGROUND
Considering the different clinical aspects of polyps in asthmatic and nonasthmatic patients, we aimed to explore their histopathological characteristics.


METHODS
Twenty-five asthmatic patients and 25 nonasthmatic patients with polypoid chronic rhinosinusitis (29 male, 21 female; mean age 41.3 +/- 13.27; range 15-78 years) were enrolled in the study to be compared on the basis of histopathological characteristics. They were compared according to the following seven light microscopic findings: basement membrane thickness, goblet cell hyperplasia, subepithelial edema, submucous gland formation, eosinophilic infiltration, lymphocytic infiltration, and polymorphonuclear infiltration.


RESULTS
Basement membrane thickening, goblet cell hyperplasia, and eosinophilic and lymphocytic infiltration were more prominent in the asthmatic compared with the nonasthmatic group (P < 0.05), whereas polymorphonuclear infiltration was more prominent in nonasthmatics (P < 0.05). No statistically significant differences were found between the two groups with regard to submucosal gland hyperplasia or subepithelial edema.


CONCLUSIONS
Asthmatic patients present histopathological characteristics of a marked chronic inflammatory reaction, which might explain the negative effect on chronic rhinosinusitis outcome and the severity of the disease in this group.
Ardehali
Mojtaba Mohammadi
MM
Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Amali
Amin
A
Bakhshaee
Mehdi
M
Madani
Ziaodin
Z
Amiri
Mandana
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000473:pathology*; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004487:Edema / Q000473:pathology; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D020397:Goblet Cells / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009298:Nasal Polyps / Q000473:pathology*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000473:pathology; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000473:pathology; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000473:pathology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric