The role of chemokines in nasal polyps

Nasal polyposis is an inflammatory condition of the nose and the sinuses ch aracterised by a marked infiltration of eosinophils in addition to lymphocy tes, mast cells and macrophages. The selective recruitment of eosinophils t o inflammatory sites is mediated by CC chemokines such as Eotaxin and Eotax in-2. In the present study histology, immunhistochemistry and ELISA were pe rformed. The levels of Eotaxin and Eotaxin-2 and for comparison other chemo kines RANTES and IL-8 were measured in nasal polyp tissue and in control na sal tissue. On histological examination 6 polyps showed an oedematous struc ture, one was glandular and one bad a fibromatous pattern, while all showed a marked eosinophil infiltration. Immunohistochemistry of the polyps showe d that epithelial cells were strongly positive for Eotaxin and IL-8, wherea s endothelial cells stained positive for Eotaxin-2. Significantly higher am ounts of Eotaxin, Eotaxin-2 and IL-8 were detected in polyp tissue when com pared with control middle turbinates. The increased levels of eosinophil-st imulating chemokines, such as Eotaxin and Eotaxin-2 in nasal polyps suggest that they may be important regulators of eosinophil recruitment in this in flammatory disease.