RESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the expression and distribution of glycoprotein 340 (gp340), a secretory glycoprotein, in normal human sinus mucosa and inflammatory sinus mucosa and evaluate the possible effects of gp340 on the development of chronic sinusitis. Glycoprotein 340 was identified as a key element in the innate host defense mechanism on many mucosal surfaces and is directly involved in defense functions aimed at clearing gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Tertiary academic institution. PATIENTS: Normal sinus mucosa was obtained from the ethmoid sinus mucosa of 8 patients with blowout fractures undergoing endoscopic reduction. Inflammatory sinus mucosa was taken from 25 patients with chronic polypoid sinusitis during endoscopic sinus surgery. INTERVENTION: Semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunohistochemical analysis, and Western blotting were performed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The expression level and distributional pattern of gp340 in normal and inflammatory sinus mucosa were analyzed. RESULTS: Transcripts of the gp340 gene were detected in all human sinus tissues analyzed by RT-PCR. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that gp340 is mainly localized in submucosal gland of both normal and inflammatory sinus mucosa. Semiquantitative RT-PCR and Western blot analysis showed the increased expression levels of gp340 in the inflammatory sinus mucosa compared with the normal sinus mucosa. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that gp340 may play a constitutive role in nasal defense and may be up-regulated in response to inflammation, participating in antimicrobial defense in chronic sinusitis.
Asunto(s)
Senos Etmoidales/metabolismo , Mucosa Nasal/metabolismo , Receptores Inmunológicos/metabolismo , Sinusitis/metabolismo , Adulto , Estudios de Casos y Controles , Enfermedad Crónica , Femenino , Humanos , Inmunidad Mucosa/fisiología , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , ARN Mensajero/metabolismo , Receptores Inmunológicos/genética , Sinusitis/etiología , Sinusitis/patologíaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: Urocortin (UCN) is a member of the corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) neuropeptide family. UCN act as locally expressed proinflammatory factor and induce mast cell degranulation, cytokine secretion, and trigger vascular permeability, which are mediated by CRF receptors in peripheral tissues. Considering its functional roles, UCN and its receptors may play a role in the pathogenesis of allergic nasal mucosa. Therefore, we investigated the expression profile and distribution of UCN and CRF receptors in normal and allergic nasal mucosa. METHODS: Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting were applied to the normal and allergic nasal mucosa. RESULTS: The expression levels of UCN and CRF receptors were increased in allergic nasal mucosa in comparison with normal nasal mucosa. In normal nasal mucosa, UCN and CRF receptors were restricted to the vascular endothelium of submucosal cavernous sinusoids where faint staining was found. However, in allergic nasal mucosa, UCN was expressed in small vessels distributed in lamina propria and the vascular endothelium of cavernous sinusoid located in submucosa. Many scattered positive cells were also found in allergic nasal mucosa, probably UCN-positive leukocytes. CRF receptors were also localized in the vascular endothelium of small vessels and cavernous sinusoid. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that UCN may play a role in the regulation of vascular swelling in normal nasal mucosa. Moreover, in allergic nasal mucosa, increased expression levels of UCN and its receptors may contribute to increased mucosal swelling and vascular permeability, playing an important role in the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis.
Asunto(s)
Mucosa Nasal/metabolismo , Receptores de Hormona Liberadora de Corticotropina/genética , Receptores de Hormona Liberadora de Corticotropina/metabolismo , Rinitis Alérgica Perenne/genética , Rinitis Alérgica Perenne/metabolismo , Urocortinas/genética , Urocortinas/metabolismo , Adulto , Western Blotting , Cartilla de ADN/genética , Femenino , Expresión Génica/genética , Humanos , Inmunohistoquímica , Masculino , Mucosa Nasal/patología , Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa de Transcriptasa Inversa , Rinitis Alérgica Perenne/patología , Cornetes Nasales/metabolismo , Cornetes Nasales/patologíaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: The lymphatic system plays an important role in the maintenance of tissue fluid homeostasis, which facilitates interstitial protein transport. Until recently, the lymphatic system of the sinonasal mucosa has been relatively poorly studied. The authors aimed to investigate the distributional and quantitative changes of the lymphatic vessels in inflammatory sinus mucosa and nasal polyps in comparison with healthy sinus mucosa using D2-40 antibody. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting with D2-40 antibody were applied to normal and edematous ethmoid sinus mucosa and nasal polyps. The number, size, and length densities of lymphatic vessels were evaluated using tissue sections and whole mount preparations. RESULTS: Most lymphatic vessels in normal and edematous ethmoid sinus mucosa were distributed in the subepithelial layer. Some of these vessels were dilated, whereas others were compressed and had a slit-like lumen. No D2-40 positive vessels were found in samples of nasal polyps. Lymphatic vessels showed no statistically significant difference in their number, size, or length density between normal and edematous ethmoid sinus mucosa. Western blot also showed no differences in their expression levels. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that lymphangiogenesis does not occur in edematous ethmoid sinus mucosa, which may not reuptake interstitial fluid efficiently in inflammatory conditions, resulting in the formation of mucosal edema in chronic inflammation.