[Cytokine pattern in various forms of sinusitis].

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory sinus diseases include acute sinusitis, chronic purulent sinusitis, and chronic polypoid rhinosinusitis. We investigated the cytokine profile of different types of rhinosinusitis in order to evaluate whether a distinct form of rhinosinusitis is associated with the expression of a specific cytokine profile.

METHODS AND PATIENTS

Fresh sinus mucosa obtained during routine surgery from patients with acute sinusitis (n = 10), chronic sinusitis (n = 7), antrochoanal polyp (n = 10), nasal polyps (n = 8), and controls of turbinate mucosa (n = 7) were homogenized. The cytokine protein content (IL-1 beta,IL-3,IL-5,IL-6,IL-8,GM-CSF) of tissue homogenates was measured using ELISA technique.

RESULTS

In the group of proinflammatory cytokines, the protein levels measured for interleukin IL-8, a proinflammatory cytokine, IL-1 beta, and IL-6 were elevated in acute sinusitis. In the group of eosinophil-activating cytokines interleukin-3, -5 and granulocyte an makrophage-colony stimulating factor, we measured a significantly elevated protein level of IL-5 in nasal polyp tissue in contrast to significantly elevated IL-3 protein level in chronic sinusitis.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that IL-8 plays a pivotal role in neutrophil-dominated and IL-5 in eosinophil-dominated sinusitis. IL-3 seems to sustain chronic inflammation.