Expression of mRNA Transcripts of the Na+/H+ and Cl-/HCO3- Exchanger Isoforms in Human Nasal Mucosa / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Electrolyte transport by nasal epithelia has been suggested to be important for controlling the quantity and composition of the nasal fluid and may play an important role in the development of nasal polyps. One of various mechanisms involving translocation of Na+ and Cl- across cell membranes includes electroneutral processes, such as Na+/H+ exchange (NHE) and Cl-/HCO3- exchange (AE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study evaluated the presence of mRNAs for various members of the human NHE and AE gene families in human inferior turbinate mucosa and nasal polyp using RT-PCR and in situ hybridization. RESULTS: The mRNA for NHE1 was detected in human turbinate mucosa and nasal polyp while the mRNAs for NHE2 and NHE3 could not be detected in all samples examined. Of the AE isoforms, AE2 mRNA was expressed in inferior turbinate mucosa but not in nasal polyp. In situ hybridization revealed that NHE1 mRNA in the turbinate mucosa and nasal polyp was localized in the epithelial layer and submucosal glands. AE2 mRNA was also expressed in the epithelial layer and in the submucosal glands of inferior turbinate mucosa. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the expression of AE2 mRNA is altered in nasal polyp, compared with inferior turbinate mucosa, suggesting that the altered expression of these genes in nasal polyp may cause impaired electrolyte and water transport across the epithelial cells.

The Evaluation and Measurement of Anterior Ethmoidal Canal in Axial OMU CT / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The anterior ethmoid canal is the important surgical landmark in endoscopic sinus surgery, intranasal ethmoidectomy, and frontal sinus surgery. However it is not enough to evaluate the anterior ethmoid canal by coronal OMU CT, especially relating anterior to posterior relationship of the anterior ethmoid canal. The pulpose of this study is to evaluate the anterior ethmoid canal in 1 mm axial OMU CT and measure the five parameters relating the anterior ethmoid canal. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective study was performed in 100 sinuses of 50 patients with chronic sinusitis who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery from May through July of 1998. RESULTS: The anterior ethmoid canal is well demonstrated by 1 mm axial OMU CT. The average of five parameters are 6.2+/-1.5 mm, 6.4+/-4.3 mm, 18.5+/-3.9 mm, 26.5+/-5.6 mm, 24.6+/-14.6degrees. However, there is no difference between the right and left side statistically. We observed that the anterior ethmoid canal is located just posterior to the frontal recess without anterior ethmoid air cell in front of the antirior ethmoid canal in 23%. CONCLUSION: The anterior ethmoid canal is well remarked by the 1 mm axial OMU CT. The length and directional angle of the anterior ethmoid canal is individually variable and there is no anterior ethmoid air cell in front of the anterior ethmoid canal in 23%. In these cases, the anterior ethmoid canal is more likely to be injured. So axial OMU CT may be useful in the radiologic evaluation for endoscopic sinus surgery in chronic sinusitis.

The Clinical Usefulness of Axial OMU CT in ESS for Chronic Sinusitis / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: OMU CT scans are taken on a direct coronal plane for chronic sinusitis and thus allows evaluation only from the coronal plane. However, axial OMU CT provides view of the surrounding vital structures, variation of air cells, and the anterior to posterior relations of structures associated with chronic sinusitis. We investigated the clinical usefulness of axial OMU CT in chronic sinusitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective study was performed in 100 sinuses of 50 patients with chronic sinusitis who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery from May through July of 1998. RESULTS: We observed that axial OMU CT has the advantage of evaluating the outline of the lateral lamella of lamina cribrosa, anterior and posterior ethmoid canal, optic nerve in sphenoid sinus, internal carotid artery in sphenoid sinus, Onodi cell, and anterior to posterior relations of these structures. CONCLUSION: We found that, in chronic sinusitis, axial OMU CT is effective in evaluating the important vital structures, normal variation, and the relations between the structures and that it can help prevent complication during ESS. We therefore recommend axial OMU CT to be included in the routine radiological evaluation for ESS in chronic sinusitis.

Amplification of int-2 in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas and Adjacent Mucosa / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: It is important to identify potential biomarkers of tumorigenesis that can be utilized on histologically normal epithelia to determine the level of risk of tumor development. With the goal of possibly identifying a biomarker for the process of development of head and neck cancer, the amplification of int-2 was observed in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fluorescence in situ hybridization using cosmid int-2 probe was performed on paraffin-embedded specimens from tumor and tumor-adjacent and tumor-distant epithelia of 20 patients. Buccal mucosa of cancer-free subjects who smoked and did not smoke cigarettes were used as control. Dot blot hybridization using digoxigenin-labeled int-2 probe was also performed on the frozen tissue from tumor and tumor-adjacent epithelia of 14 patients. RESULTS: In in situ hybridization, buccal epithelia of cancer-free subjects who smoked and did not smoke cigarettes, and tumor-distant epithelia of the patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma showed no int-2 amplification. However, eleven of tumor tissue (55%) and five of tumor-adjacent epithelia (25%) in 20 cases showed int-2 amplification. In dot blot hybridization, five tumor tissue (35.7%) and 2 tumor-adjacent epithelia (14.3%) in 14 cases, of which tumor tissue were all found to have int-2 amplification, showed int-2 amplification. CONCLUSION: The amplification of int-2 in the tumor tissue and the tumor-adjacent epithelia of the same cases supports the concept of field cancerization or clonal extension. Such genotype parameters may provide a genetic basis for the development of early recurrence or second primary tumors after therapeutic treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas.