Impact and Modulations of Peripheral and Edaphic B Cell Subpopulations in Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyposis

OBJECTIVES: The pathophysiological mechanisms of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP) still are discussed controversially. Regulatory B cells (Breg) are responsible for the suppression of T cell activity: deficiencies for Breg have been demonstrated to contribute to autoimmune disorders, e.g., systemic lupus erythematosus. In order to evaluate the influence of B cell subpopulations, especially Breg, on the etiology of this disease, the aim of this study was to characterize subpopulations of peripheral and edaphic B cells in CRSwNP. METHODS: Polypoid tissue and blood samples were collected from 10 patients undergoing paranasal sinus surgery and lymphocytes were analyzed by multicolor flow cytometry. RESULTS: There was a significantly lower frequency of B cells in nasal polyps compared to peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in patients with CRSwNP. Mature resting B cells were the main population within B cells in PBMC, and memory B cells in nasal polyps. Remarkably, Breg and mature B cells significantly decreased in nasal polyps compared to PBMC. Memory B cells significantly increased and represented the main subpopulation in nasal polyps in patients with CRSwNP. CONCLUSION: In this study a detailed contemporary characterization of B cell subpopulations in patients with CRSwNP is presented. The influence of edaphic B cells could play a key role in the maintenance of this chronic infectious disease.

Synergistic effects of H2O2 with components of dental restorative materials on gluconeogenesis in rat kidney tubules.

No data are available about (toxic) effects of dental materials administered in combination with H(2)O(2) from dental bleaching compounds. The effect of dental composite components triethyleneglycoldimethacrylate (TEGDMA) and hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) as well as mercuric chloride (HgCl(2)) and methylmercury chloride (MeHgCl), each in combination with H(2)O(2), was investigated on gluconeogenesis in kidney cells. From rats kidney tubules were prepared. Every 10 min up to 60 min 1-ml samples were drawn from the cell suspension for quantitating the glucose content. Glucose formation in controls was 3.5+/-0.3 nmol/mg.per min (mean+/-SEM, n=21). Relative rates of glucose formation were obtained by expressing individual rates as percentage of the corresponding control. X-Y concentration curves (effective concentration, EC) of the substances were calculated by fitting a four-parametric sigmoid function to the relative rates of the glucose formation at various test concentrations. At the end of the incubation period cell viability was assessed by trypan blue exclusion. Cell viability decreased within the 60 min interval from 90% to approx. 80% (controls), <25 (HEMA), <20 (TEGDMA), <20 (H(2)O(2)) <10 (MeHgCl), and <10 (HgCl(2)). Values of 50% effective concentration (EC(50)) were calculated from fitted curves. EC(50) values were (mmol/l; mean+/-SEM; n=4): HEMA, 17.2+/-2.8; TEGDMA, 1.9+/-0.2; H(2)O(2) 0.22+/-0.03, MeHgCl, 0.016+/-0.0005; and HgCl(2), 0.0017+/-0.0005. No significant decrease of the EC(50) values was found when kidney cells were exposed to HEMA, HgCl(2), or MeHgCl in addition with H(2)O(2) (1-100 microM), compared to those EC(50) values of each compound without H(2)O(2) addition. A significant decrease of the TEGDMA EC(50) values to about 0.25 or 0.04 (mmol/l) was found when cells were exposed to TEGDMA in combination with H(2)O(2) (75 or 100 microM), compared to that TEGDMA EC(50) value without H(2)O(2) addition. The addition of H(2)O(2) (75 and 100 microM) resulted in a synergistic toxic effect of TEGDMA.