MONOCYTE CHEMOTACTIC PROTEIN EXPRESSION IN ALLERGY AND NON-ALLERGY-ASSOCIATED CHRONIC SINUSITIS

Objective: Chronic sinusitis (CS) is characterized by inflammatory muc osal thickening and polyp formation with a predominantly eosinophilic infiltrate. Chemokines are a novel group of inflammatory mediators cap able of attracting specific inflammatory cell populations. Monocyte ch emotactic proteins (MCP) are a subfamily of chemokines (MCP-1, MCP-2, MCP-3, and MCP-4) that share a number of functional properties includi ng chemotactic activity for eosinophils. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of the MCP family of chemokines in alle rgy and non-allergy-associated chronic sinusitis using the technique o f immunocytochemistry. Method: We examined the expression of MCP-1, MC P-3, and MCP-4 in biopsies from the ethmoid sinuses of patients with C S and normal controls. Results: MCPs were localized to the epithelial cells and a subset of inflammatory cells within the mucosa. The expres sion of both MCP-3 and MCP-4 immunoreactivity were significantly incre ased in patients with both allergy and non-allergy-associated CS compa red to normal controls (p < .001). There was no significant difference in the expression of MCP-1 in nasal biopsies from individuals with CS and normals. The level of expression of MCP-3 and MCP-4 correlated wi th eosinophil (p < .001) and CD4-positive T-cell infiltrate (p < .001) but not with CD8-positive T-cell infiltration. Conclusions: Our data suggest biologic redundancy in the expression of eosinophil chemoattra ctants in CS and a potential role for: MCP-3 and MCP-4, but not MCP-1, in the pathophysiology of this disorder. Further, chemokines may be a common link between the eosinophilia of allergy-associated and non-al lergy-associated CS, a finding that may have therapeutic implications.