title: Cytokine patterns in nasal secretion of non-atopic patients distinguish between chronic rhinosinusitis with or without nasal polys.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Being one of the most common nasal diseases, chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is subdivided into CRS with nasal polyps (NP) and CRS without nasal polyps (CRSsNP). CRSsNP presents itself with a TH1 milieu and neutrophil infiltration, while NP is characterised by a mixed TH1/TH2 profile and an influx of predominantly eosinophils, plasma cells and mast cells. For the purpose of discovering disease-specific cytokine profiles, the present study compares levels of mediators and cytokines in nasal secretions between CRSsNP, NP, and healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 45 participants suffering from NP, 48 suffering from CRSsNP and 48 healthy controls. Allergic rhinitis constituted an exclusion criterion. Nasal secretions, sampled using the cotton wool method, were analysed for IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, IL-17, IL-8, GM-CSF, G-CSF, IFN-γ, MCP-1, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, eotaxin, and RANTES, and for ECP and tryptase, using Bio-Plex Cytokine assay or ELISA, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Elevated levels of IL-5, IL-17, G-CSF, MCP-1, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, ECP, and tryptase, as well as decreased levels of IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, and IFN-γ were detected in NP. CRSsNP presented increased levels of RANTES and MIP-1β while IL-13 was decreased. No differences between the three groups were found for IL-4, IL-8, GM-CSF, and eotaxin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present work suggests a disequilibrium of TH1 and TH2, together with a down-regulation of regulatory T lymphocytes and up-regulated TH17 in NP. Moreover, elevated levels of diverse mediators represent the activation of various inflammatory cells in this disease entity. The inflammation in CRSsNP, however, is only weakly depicted in nasal secretions. Therefore, cytokines in nasal secretions may provide helpful information for differential diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Großhadern of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: König
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Großhadern of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Klemens
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Großhadern of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Mareike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haack
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Großhadern of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Marion San
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Nicoló
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Großhadern of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 Munich, Germany ; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55101 Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Großhadern of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Großhadern of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Moritz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gröger
keywords: Chemokines; Chronic rhinosinusitis; Cytokines; Mediators; Nasal discharge; Nasal polyps