Epithelium and stroma from nasal polyp mucosa exhibits inverse expression of TGF-β1 as compared with healthy nasal mucosa

• Published in: Journal of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery 2013-04, Vol.42 (1), p.29-29
• Main Authors: Balsalobre, Leonardo, Pezato, Rogério, Perez-Novo, Claudina, Alves, Maria Teresa S, Santos, Rodrigo P, Bachert, Claus, Weckx, Luc L M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chronic Disease; Cross-Sectional Studies; Epithelium - metabolism; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Nasal Mucosa - metabolism; Nasal Polyps - metabolism; Original; Rhinitis - metabolism; Sinusitis - metabolism; Stromal Cells - metabolism; Transforming Growth Factor beta - metabolism
• ISSN: 1916-0216; 1916-0208; 1916-0216
• DOI: 10.1186/1916-0216-42-29

To evaluate TGF-β1 expression in polypoid mucosa (epithelium and stroma) of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP). Cross-sectional study with two groups: 17 patients with nasal polyposis and 11 controls. Polyps and normal nasal mucosa were processed by immunohistochemical methods for TGF-β1 visualization. Then, the percentage of TGF-β1 expression in stroma and epithelium was objectively quantified using UT Morph software. A lower percentage of positive expression was found in the epithelium of CRSwNP patients (32.44%) versus normal controls (55.91%) (p < 0.05), and a higher percentage of positive expression in the stroma of CRSwNP patients (23.24%) versus controls (5.88%) (p < 0.05). The lower percentage of TGF-β1 expression in the nasal epithelium of CRSwNP patients may have an impact on epithelium-directed topical treatments employed in this patient population.