Abstract
It is well known that persistent purulent nasal discharge with numerous neutrophils occurs in patients with chronic sinusitis (CS) . In recent years, IL-8 has been reported to be one of the major mediators which induce neutrophil activation and chemotaxis. The present study was performed in an attempt to investigate the role of IL-8 in neutrophil chemotaxis in CS. Immunohistochemical examinations revealed that IL-8 was expressed in polymorphonuclear cells in the nasal discharge and in epithelial and nasal gland cells of the ethmoidal mucosa. IL-8 concentration in the nasal discharge of CS determined by enzyme immunoassay was 28.3±7.3 nM (mean±SEM, n=10), which was significantly higher than that of nasal allergy. These results suggest that chemotactic factors in paranasal sinus effusion including IL-8 derived from epithelial cells and nasal gland cells attract neutrophils from the mucosa, and the neutrophils in the effusion secrete IL-8, which causes further neutrophil accumulation in the paranasal sinus effusion in CS.
