Protein-tyrosine kinase Syk expressed in human nasal fibroblasts and its effect on RANTES production

Fibroblasts, a rich source of chemokines, interact with eosinophils and pla y a key role in the pathogenesis of airway disease. RANTES is produced by f ibroblasts to attract and activate eosinophils, LPS is known to induce RANT ES and cause protein tyrosine phosphorylation, Nonreceptor protein tyrosine kinase Syk is widely expressed and an important role in intracellular sign al transduction in hemopoietic cells. In the present study, we examined whe ther Syk was expressed in a number of primary human nasal polyp tissue-deri ved fibroblast lines and whether it played some role in cellular function. Syk proteins were expressed in human nasal fibroblasts, but the expression level varied, There were positive correlations between the level of Syk exp ression and RANTES production induced by LPS, Overexpression of wild-type S yk by gene transfer enhanced RANTES production from nasal fibroblasts stimu lated with LPS, The decrease of Syk expression by the administration of Syk antisense inhibited RANTES production. These results suggest that Syk expr ession affects RANTES production in fibroblasts of nasal polyps.