Abstract
Histochemical quantitation of glycoprotein (GP) in the adult human nasal mucosa was performed. Specimens of mucosa were obtained from the inferior turbinates of 18 normal subjects, 33 patients with hypertrophic rhinitis (HR), 37 with nasal allergy (NA), and 65 with chronic sinusitis (CS); and from the middle turbinate of 56 with CS. The GPs in the goblet cells and submucosal gland cells were identified by the combined Alcian blue (AB) at various pH levels and periodic acid Sciff (PAS) staining method with or without sialidase digestion. The GPs in the goblet cells and submucosal gland cells were identified as neutral, sialidase sensitive or resistant sialylated, and sulphated GPs by the stains used in this study.
There was no significant difference between patients and controls in the number of goblet cells containing GPs. In CS, there were fewer goblet cells in the middle turbinate than in the inferior turbinate. The number of submucosal gland cells in NA and CS was significantly higher than in the controls (p<0.01). In CS there were fewer submucosal gland cells in the middle turbinate than in the inferior turbinate. In CS 41% and in NA 28% of the submucosal glands stained with AB-PAS. This difference was significant (p<0.01). The distribution of GPs was not significantly different in patients and controls.
In conclusion: 1) The goblet cell population was not increased in disease. 2) Nearly 90% of the GPs in goblet cells were sulphated. 3) Submucosal gland cells were increased in number in the inferior turbionate mucosa in CS and NA. 4) In NA, the gland cells which did not contain GPs were increased, but in CS, GP-containing cells were increased. 5) The gland cells contained almost the same proportion of neutral, sialidase sensitive or resistant sialylated, and sulphated GPs. These results suggest that the increase of mucus secretion in CS and NA is due mainly to the increase of submucosal gland cells.
