title: Effects of fungi and eosinophils on mucin gene expression in rhinovirus-infected nasal epithelial cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fungi, rhinoviruses (RVs), and eosinophils are associated with upper respiratory diseases. We evaluated the effects of fungal stimulation and eosinophil co-culture on the expression of mucin genes in RV-infected nasal polyp epithelial cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nasal polyp epithelial cells were obtained from chronic rhinosinusitis patients. Cultured epithelial cells were stimulated with Alternaria and Aspergillus with or without RV-16 infection. The epithelial cells were co-cultured with eosinophils for 16 h. MUC4, MUC5AC, MUC5B, and MUC8 mRNA expressions in the epithelial cells were quantified using real-time RT-PCR. To determine the underlying mechanism, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), activator protein-1 (AP-1), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors were used to inhibit mucin gene expression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fungi and RV-16 induced mucin gene expression in nasal polyp epithelial cells. However, there was no synergistic increase in mucin gene expression, with the exception of MUC4 mRNA expression stimulated by 25 µg/mL Aspergillus. When RV-16-infected epithelial cells were stimulated with fungi and then co-cultured with eosinophils, MUC4, MUC5B, and MUC8 mRNA expressions increased. Mucin gene expression was inhibited by NF-κB inhibitors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RV-16, airborne fungi, and eosinophils may exacerbate the inflammatory process in nasal mucosal diseases by enhancing mucin gene expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Catholic University of Daegu, School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Seung-Heon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Catholic University of Daegu, School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Mi-Kyung
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Catholic University of Daegu, School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong-Kyu
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Rhinovirus; eosinophil; fungus; mucin gene; nasal epithelial cell; nuclear factor-κB