A COMPARISON OF CYTOKINE RELEASE FROM EPITHELIAL-CELLS CULTURED FROM NASAL BIOPSY SPECIMENS OF ATOPIC PATIENTS WITH AND WITHOUT RHINITIS AND NONATOPIC SUBJECTS WITHOUT RHINITIS

Background: Recent studies have suggested that airway epithelial cells of atopic and nonatopic individuals may differ in their ability to pr oduce proinflammatory cytokines. Methods: We have cultured human nasal epithelial cells (NECs) as confluent explant cultures from nasal biop sy specimens of well-characterized nonatopic normal volunteers without rhinitis (n = 8), atopic volunteers without rhinitis (n = 9), and ato pic patient volunteers with rhinitis (n = 10) and measured the amounts of IL-1 beta, IL-8, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and RANTES released spontaneously into t he culture medium by these cells in vitro. NECs from patients with all ergic rhinitis were cultured from biopsy specimens obtained on two dif ferent occasions, during and after the pollen season. Results: In gene ral, NECs from atopic individuals released significantly greater amoun ts of IL-1 beta, IL-8, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating facto r, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and RANTES than NECs from nonatopic in dividuals. IL-8 was released iir greatest quantity and IL-1 beta in lo west quantity, regardless of whether the NECs were derived from atopic or nonatopic volunteers. Of the atopic individuals, NECs of atopic pa tients with rhinitis naturally exposed to pollen released greater quan tities of all these cytokines, compared with NECs of atopic patients w ith rhinitis and atopic patients without rhinitis who were not exposed To allergen. Conclusions: These results suggest that NECs of atopic i ndividuals, who are genetically predisposed to upper airway disease, r elease increased amounts of proinflammatory cytokines and that natural exposure to allergen enhances the release of these cytokines, exacerb ating the symptoms of allergic disease.