Trace elements in nasal polyps.

The reason why nasal polyps occur has not been explained yet. In the literature, the role of immunological factors are considered and broadly discussed, but there is no information on the role of microelements in the pathogenesis of nasal sinusal polyposis. In this study, concentrations of Cu, Se, Zn, and Pb in tissue of nasal polyps were determined. The tissue samples were taken from 41 patients during polypectomia procedures, whereas healthy tissue from nasal mucosa was sampled from 10 patients during endonasal surgery. The concentrations of the elements were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. It was found that the concentrations of all the elements were signifcantly lower in polyp tissues than in healthy nasal mucosa. The reasons for this are unclear in the present study.