Search

Conclusions: Our results indicate that chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps (CRSsNP) is characterized by the down-regulation of a Toll-like receptor (TLR)-mediated signaling pathway and such a deficiency within the innate immune system may contribute to the inflammatory process of CRSsNP. In contrast, the inflammatory process found in CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is characterized by an excessively activated TLR-mediated signaling pathway, which may contribute to the formation of nasal polyps. This study suggests that the pathophysiologic mechanism of CRSsNP and CRSwNP is different. Objective: The nasal mucosa expresses a variety of TLRs that serve in recognizing microorganisms. We investigated the gene expression of a TLR-mediated signaling pathway within two distinctive patient subgroups: CRSwNP and CRSsNP. Methods: Nasal mucosal tissue was obtained from 78 subjects with CRS and 23 control subjects. qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry were used to investigate tissues for the expression of TLR2, TLR4, TLR7, their downstream signaling components, MyD88 and TRIF, and associated cytokines, interferon (IFN)-γ, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-4, and IL-10. Results: TLR2, TLR4, TLR7, and IL-4 were significantly increased in CRSwNP patients when compared with either CRSsNP patients or control subjects, whereas TLR4 and TLR7, and downstream MyD88 were significantly decreased in CRSsNP patients versus patients from CRSwNP and control subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conclusion. Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) played an important role in the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis (AR) and can be regarded a potential therapeutic target for the management of AR. Objective. To evaluate the possible role of TSLP in the pathogenesis of AR. Patients and methods. We enrolled 16 patients of AR to investigate the expression of TSLP in nasal mucosa and evaluate the link of TSLP and interleukin-4 (IL-4). Expression of TSLP was detected by immunohistochemical analysis and quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and concentrations of TSLP and IL-4 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results. TSLP was detected in all samples and the mRNA and protein expression of TSLP is increased significantly in AR nasal mucosa compared with normal control (P<0.05). TSLP production is tightly correlated with IL-4 and severity of AR (P<0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]