Abstract
We studied the relationship between eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and epithelial cell injury and mucus hypersecretion in sinus mucosa permeated by active eosinophils. Only the existence of very slight cilia in the scanning electron microscopy of the nasal polyp surface with a high ECP concentration was seen and was being replaced by numerous mucus cells. Space existed intercellularly with partial deprivation. A high correlation was seen between nasal mucosa surface ECP concentration and albumin and fucose concentration, and with increasing ECP concentration indicating that it increased in both secretion of albumin from the blood and secretion from goblet cells. Cases of high ECP concentration thus involve both hypersecretion from goblet cells and blood and obvious epithelial cell injury, resulting in mucociliary function failure.
