ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE The purpose of our study was to measure the glucocorticoid receptor(GR)protein level in the nuclei of nasal polyp cells and compare the results in nasal polyposis patients with chronic rhinosinusitis alone and with chronic rhinosinusitis accompanied with asthma, before and after glucocorticoid(Glu)therapy. METHODS We used enzyme-linked immunosorbentassay(ELISA) techniques to quantitatively measure the activated- GR protein level in the nuclei of the nasal polyp cells. Nasal polyp tissues were obtained from patients with chronic rhinosinusitis alone and with chronic rhinosinusitis accompanied with bronchial asthma. In the latter, polyp tissues were obtained before and after Glu therapy seperatively. RESULTS Our data showed no significant differences between the activated- GR protein level of the nasal polyposis patients with chronic rhinosinusitis alone and with chronic rhinosinusitis accompanied with bronchial asthma before Glu therapy. However, the activated-GR protein level was significantly upregulated after Glu therapy in the patients with chronic rhinosinusitis accompanied with bronchial asthma. CONCLUSION The result of our research clearly showed that Glus upregulated the activated-GR protein level in the nuclei of nasal polyp cells and that the upregulation is essential for Glus anti-inflammatory action.