Comparison Study of Epithelial Cell Proliferation in Nasal Polyp and Nasal Mucosa / 대한이비인후과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Nasal polyposis is a chronic inflammatory disease with structural modification of the mucosal epithelium and the lamina propria. In one of recent studies related to the lamina propria, the myofibroblast, which is a potent inducer of extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis, was found to increase the pedicle area of the nasal polyp. In this study, we intended to quantify epithelial cell proliferation of the polyp. We also tried to identify the active area of epithelial proliferation within nasal polyp and to compare it with the active area of ECM synthesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During the endoscopic surgery of nasal polyposis patients, anatomically intact polyp, uncinate process, inferior turbinate and middle turbinate were sampled. The normal nasal mucosa of the inferior turbinate and the septum were obtained from patients who underwent septoplasty. The proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression in the samples were quantified by immunohistochemistry. The PCNA index of the two groups were compared. RESULTS: Epithelial proliferation of the nasal polyp was found to be more active than the normal nasal mucosa. The active area of epithelial proliferation within the nasal polyp was the body area. CONCLUSION: The active area of epithelial proliferation was different from the pedicle area, which is the active area of ECM production.