[The expression and significance of interleukin-17 and the infiltrating eosinophils in nasal polyps and nasal mucous of allergic rhinitis].

OBJECTIVE

To observe the expression of interleukin-17 and the infiltration of eosinophilic cells in nasal polyps and allergic rhinitis, and investigate the roles of IL-17 and eosinophils in the etiology of nasal polyps and allergic rhinitis.

METHOD

A study was conducted on 21 patients of nasal polyps, 18 ones of allergic rhinitis and 12 normal individuals. Immunohistochemical stain with the rabbit monoclonal antibodies of IL-17 was carried out. The eosinophilic cells infiltrated in different tissues were stained with HE, then counted under high power filed. The data was analyzed with ANOVA of SPSS12.0 software.

RESULT

Many IL-17 stained cells were found in the samples of nasal polyps and allergic rhinitis, which were significantly higher than those in normal individuals (P < 0.05). Positive cell number in tissues of allergic rhinitis was similar to that in nasal polyps, but higher than in normal individuals. As for HE staining, there was no significant deviation of numbers of eosinophilic cell in tissue between allergic rhinitis and nasal polyps,while which differed from the normal ones (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

1. IL-17 is a newly cytokine which expressed in mucosa of allergic rhinitis and nasal polyps tissue. It indicates the degree of immunological reaction and inflammatory reaction, and can be used as an index to research the mechanism of nasal polyps as well as allergic rhinitis. 2. The eosinophilic cells count was correlated with the amount of IL-17 positive cells in nasal polyps and with allergic rhinitis correlation coefficients were R = 0. 606 (P < 0 01)and R = 0.446 (P < 0.05) respectively. It seems that eosinophils, which are regulated by IL-17, play an important roles in the development of nasal polyps and allergic rhinitis.