EXPRESSION OF ADHESION MOLECULES IN NONALLERGIC CHRONIC SINUSITIS

Endothelial and epithelial adhesion molecules are important in the rec ruitment of leukocytes to inflammatory sites. To determine the relatio nship between recruited leukocytes and adhesion molecules in the paran asal sinus mucosa of nonallergic chronic sinusitis, we surgically obta ined mucosa from 16 patients and identified the expression of intercel lular adhesion molecules (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 ( VCAM-1), E-selectin, and P-selectin by immunohistochemistry. Neutrophi ls were significantly dominant in the nasal discharge as compared with eosinophils, The degree of neutrophil infiltration in the paranasal s inus mucosa was prominent in both intraepithelial and subepithelial ar eas as compared with the lamina propria, In each tissue site, the degr ee of infiltration of neutrophils was similar to that of eosinophils. These findings suggest that the tissue neutrophils actively and rapidl y migrated into the lumen, All the adhesion molecules except VCAM-1 we re expressed in the vascular endothelial cells. On the other hand, the surface epithelial cells showed the expression of only ICAM-1. The ex pression of ICAM-1 on the endothelial cells correlated with the degree of neutrophil infiltration in the mucosa, The eosinophil infiltration was not dependent on any adhesion molecules examined here. It was con cluded that ICAM-1 expression in the mucosa may be involved in neutrop hil recruitment and may contribute to the establishment of the inflamm atory cell distribution in the paranasal sinus of nonallergic chronic sinusitis.