ABSTRACT
The expression of melatonin in nasal polyps versus the histological structure of tissue was studied in 11 patients with aspirin-induced asthma (AIA), 8 patients with asthma without aspirin intolerance, 13 patients with polypous rhinosinusopathy (PR) without bronchopulmonary diseases, and 10 apparently healthy individuals without nasal polyposis. The expression of melatonin in the nasal mucosa was found to be normal in healthy individuals. It significantly increased in polyp tissue in PR. The specific feature of polyp tissue in patients with aspirin triad was its high eosinophils levels that correlated with the increased area of melatonin expression. Thus, in AIA patients, the role of eosinophils increases in the production and/or delivery of the hormone into polyp tissue along with a drastic reduction in platelet melatonin generation. The findings explain persistent recurrent PR in AIA patients and an exacerbation of the disease after polyp removal.
