Up-regulation of heparanase in the ethmoid sinus mucosa of patients with chronic sinusitis.
BACKGROUND
Heparanase (HPA) is known to be involved in tissue remodeling of various organs with inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the level of expression and the pattern of distribution of HPA in normal human sinus mucosa, inflammatory sinus mucosa, and nasal polyps to evaluate the possible effect of HPA on the tissue remodeling of chronic inflammatory sinus mucosa and nasal polyps.


METHODS
Normal sinus mucosa was obtained from the ethmoid sinus during endoscopic reduction in 25 patients with blowout fractures. Inflammatory sinus mucosa and nasal polyps were obtained from 25 patients undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery for chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps. The levels of expression and the pattern of distribution of HPA were evaluated in normal human sinus mucosa, inflammatory sinus mucosa, and nasal polyps, using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemical analysis, and Western blot analysis.


RESULTS
HPA mRNA and protein were detected in inflammatory sinus mucosa and nasal polyps but not in normal sinus mucosa. HPA was mainly localized in the vascular endothelium, epithelium, submucosal glands, and inflammatory cells of inflammatory sinus mucosa. In nasal polyps, inflammatory cells and vascular endothelium showed immunopositivity in the entire portion, whereas glands and epithelial cells did not show positivity.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that HPA is not constitutively expressed in normal sinus mucosa and is upregulated in chronic inflammatory sinus mucosa and nasal polyps, suggesting that HPA may play an important role in the tissue remodeling in chronic sinusitis.
Kim
Tae Hoon
TH
Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea.
Lee
Heung Man
HM
Lee
Seung Hoon
SH
Choi
Whan
W
Kim
Ha Kyun
HK
Lee
Jung Hoon
JH
Oh
Kyoung Ho
KH
Lee
Sang Hag
SH
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005005:Ethmoid Sinus / Q000473:pathology; D015521:Ethmoid Sinusitis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D009298:Nasal Polyps / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D009928:Organ Specificity; D015854:Up-Regulation; D000099175:Heparanase
D005966:Glucuronidase; D000099175:Heparanase