Lysosomal proteases and protease inhibitors in nasal allergy and non-atopic sinusitis

Patterns of protease activity and levels of protease inhibitors were analyzed in both nasal secretions and tissue extracts from patients with nasal allergy and non-atopic sinusitis to investigate the role of proteases in the inflammatory reaction. Protease activity was measured using specific methyl-coumaryl-7-amide substrates. The pattern of protease activity in the nasal secretions of chronic sinusitis patients was similar to that in neutrophil lysate and quite different from that in plasma. Both gluthatione activation testing and inhibition testing using synthetic inhibitors revealed that the majority of proteases in both secretions and tissues are lysosomal thiol proteases such as cathepsins B and L. Neutrophilic elastase is also a major protease in nasal secretions. In acute sinusitis, both protease activity and inhibitor levels were very high, suggesting an interaction between proteases and inhibitors. Cathepsin B and B-like thiol proteases appear to play a key role in prolonging chronic inflammation against the healing process, due to their resistance to plasma inhibitors and the shortage of thiol protease inhibitors. Protease activity in the secretions of nasal allergy patients was very weak, and the reaction between proteases and inhibitors appeared to be weak.     

A study on collagenase production of nasal polyp-derived fibroblasts stimulated by nasal secretions of chronic sinusitis

The collagenase produced by mesenchymal cells has been thought to have a great importance in the pathophysiology of connective tissue metabolism and prolongation of chronic inflammation. The factors, such as IL-1 and PMN factor, released by inflammatory cells have been known to induce mesenchymal cells to produce collagenase. In the present study, the collagenase activity of the nasal secretions were estimated using FITC-labelled collagens as substrates. The factor, enhancing the fibroblasts to produce collagenase, was also isolated from nasal secretions and partially characterized. The fibroblasts used in the present study were cultured with explant of the sections of nasal polyp obtained from a patient with chronic sinusitis. The collagenase activity in nasal secretions from patients with chronic sinusitis was high, whereas that of allergic nasal secretions was extremely low. Furthermore, the collagenase productions of nasal polyp-derived fibroblasts were enhanced by the extracts of nasal secretions from patients with chronic sinusitis. Crude extracts of nasal secretions were fractionated by ammonium sulfate precipitation. The active materials precipitated by 50% to 80% ammonium sulfate were further purified by Sephadex G-75 gel chromatography. The molecular weight determination of the active fraction checked by HPLC utilizing for TSK 2,000 SW gel column indicates 20,000 daltons for the active materials. However, the collagenase production of human microvascular endothelial cells derived from nasal mucosa was not enhanced by this factor. Although either the origin or the nature was not confirmed, the factor was considered to relate to the prolongation of chronic inflammation in the nasal and paranasal sinus pathology. Analysis of these factors will expected to establish methods for new therapeutics in chronic inflammation.     

变应性因素对鼻内镜手术疗效的影响

目的：探讨变应性因素对慢性鼻窦炎伴鼻息肉患者行鼻窦内窥镜手术疗效的影响。方法对我院2011～2012年入院手术的II型慢性鼻窦炎伴鼻息肉患者,术前根据其是否伴有变应性鼻炎症状和体征、是否伴有过敏性疾病史及支气管哮喘病史、术前鼻腔分泌物涂片嗜酸粒细胞检查、变应原皮肤试验、血清特异性IgE检查、过敏性鼻炎,筛选出伴有变应性因素的慢性鼻窦炎伴鼻息肉患者为试验组。选择同期无变应性因素的单纯慢性鼻窦炎伴鼻息肉患者作为对照组。比较两组患者手术后疗效,并同时比较各种变应性因素对手术疗效的影响。结果伴有变应性因素的慢性鼻窦炎伴鼻息肉患者,手术疗效为80.95%（136/168）,同期单纯慢性鼻窦炎伴鼻息肉患者,手术疗效为91.75%（189/206）,两组间差异有显著性（P〈0.01）。在各种变应性因素中,伴有变应性鼻炎症状和体征、嗜酸粒细胞阳性、变应原皮肤试验阳性、血清特异性IgE、过敏性鼻炎的慢性鼻窦炎伴鼻息肉患者,与无变应性因素的慢性鼻窦炎伴鼻息肉患者比较,差异均有显著性（P〈0.05）,伴有过敏性疾病史及伴支气管哮喘病史患者与无变应性因素的慢性鼻窦炎伴鼻息肉患者比较,差异无显著性（P〉0.05）。结论变应性因素与鼻窦内窥镜手术疗效密切相关,是术后复发的重要因素。对慢性鼻窦炎伴鼻息肉患者行鼻窦内窥镜手术时,必须加强围手术期抗变应性治疗。     

变应性鼻炎鼻分泌物中上皮细胞集落和嗜酸粒细胞的检测

为了观察变应性鼻炎（allesgicrhinitis，AR）患者鼻分泌物中的上皮细胞集落和嗜酸粒细胞，对20例AR患者（AR组）和15例鼻窦炎患者（感染组）鼻分泌物中细胞成分进行了电镜观察，发现AR组鼻分泌物中有大量上皮细胞集落，其特征是数个至数十个上皮细胞成片状脱落，上皮细胞集落的数量和嗜酸粒细胞的数量、嗜酸粒细胞阳离子蛋白（eosinophiliccationicprotein，ECP）的含量呈正相关。感染组中上皮细胞集落和嗜酸粒细胞极少，ECP含量甚微。结果提示嗜酸粒细胞的ECP可能导致AR患者的鼻粘膜上皮呈片状脱落，对上皮结构造成损害。     

Chemotactic properties of retained maxillary sinus secretions

The chemotactic activity of 82 aspirated maxillary sinus secretions obtained from 32 sinuses in 29 patients was assayed with a modified Boyden chamber technique. The secretions were also analysed with respect to the proteolytic activity according to a modification of a technique described by Moroz. In only 3 of 24 sinus secretions obtained from untreated patients with purulent or mucopurulent sinusitis, but in 5 of 8 serous secretions from untreated patients with serous sinusitis a chemotactic activity exceeding random migration was found. A high proteolytic activity was found to be incompatible with a high chemotactic activity. Regarding mucopurulent and purulent sinusitis, treatment by repeated antral aspiration resulted in an increase of the proportion of chemotactically active secretions and a decrease of the proteolytic activity. Repeated antral aspirations in patients with serous sinusitis resulted in less uniform changes of the chemotactic activity.     

慢性鼻窦炎鼻息肉与变应性因素相关性的探讨

目的 探讨变应性因素在慢性鼻窦炎鼻息肉发病中的作用。方法回顾性分析1882例慢性鼻窦炎鼻息肉患者术前鼻腔分泌物涂片嗜酸粒细胞及变应原皮肤试验检查结果，并将其变应性症状和体征出现的比例与临床分型分期加以比较。结果①1882例慢性鼻窦炎鼻息肉患者中60．4％(1137例)的患者伴有不同程度的变应性症状和体征，25．3％(477例)的患者合并变应性鼻炎，2．1％(39例)的患者合并支气管哮喘；②在Ⅰ型(708例)和Ⅱ型(823例)各分期的患者中，合并变应性鼻炎及支气管哮喘的发生率和嗜酸粒细胞、皮肤变应原试验阳性率以及变应性鼻炎临床症状出现的百分率分别由低到高出现，Ⅱ型3期各项比例最高；③42．2％(795例)的患者变应原皮肤试验阳性，其中94．3％对常年性变应原呈阳性反应；④26．3％(495例)的患者伴有变应性鼻炎的临床症状，其中99．8％(494／495例)为常年性发作；⑤有前期手术史的病例占38．9％(732例)，其中合并变应性鼻炎者占有前期手术史例数的38．3％(280例)，占合并变应性鼻炎患者的58．7％(477例)。结论变应性因素特别是常年性变应性鼻炎与慢性鼻窦炎鼻息肉的病变程度和病变范围有关。同时变应性鼻炎也促进了疾病的复发。     

Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor in normal, allergic and virus induced nasal secretions

Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) and alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor (alpha-1-PI), both inhibitors of granulocyte elastase, were studied in nasal secretions from healthy persons and from patients with allergic rhinitis and common cold. SLPI and granulocyte elastase were found in all samples, while alpha-1-PI was lacking in several. In all three groups SLPI was found in an active form and in excess of granulocyte elastase, which thus was completely inhibited. The results indicate that SLPI is the main inhibitor in nasal secretions and that alpha-1-PI plays a minor role.     

变应性因素及变应性鼻炎与慢性鼻-鼻窦炎鼻息肉的相关性探讨

目的：探讨变应性因素及变应性鼻炎（AR）与慢性鼻-鼻窦炎鼻息肉的临床相关性。方法：将200例研究对象分为A、B组,A组诊断为AR（110例）,B组诊断为慢性鼻-鼻窦炎鼻息肉（90例）,通过欧蒙印迹法定量检测血清sIgE浓度并观察慢性鼻-鼻窦炎鼻息肉手术治疗后的复发率、AR并发慢性鼻-鼻窦炎鼻息肉的发生率。结果：A组sIgE总阳性率为89.09%,B组sIgE总阳性率为74.44%。B组中sIgE阳性者术后复发率为58.21%,sIgE阴性者术后复发率为8.70%。A组41例（37.27%）并发慢性鼻-鼻窦炎鼻息肉,血清sIgE阳性率为97.56%;69例（62.73%）未并发慢性鼻-鼻窦炎鼻息肉,血清sIgE阳性率为79.71%;组内slgE阳性率比较差异有统计学意义（χ2=6.96,P〈0.01）。结论：变应性因素及AR与慢性鼻-鼻窦炎鼻息肉的发生有一定的相关性,提示避免接触变应原、合理治疗AR能够有效控制慢性鼻-鼻窦炎鼻息肉的复发率。     

Chronic maxillary sinusitis. Energy metabolism in sinus mucosa and secretion

The energy metabolism in maxillary sinus mucosa and secretion from 41 patients with, in most cases, recurrent or chronic sinusitis was studied and compared with that in mucosal samples from patients with no previous history of sinus abnormality or infection. In freeze-dried samples, glucose and lactate were measured by enzymatic assays and adenine nucleotides by HPLC. In chronic sinusitis the lactate concentration in the mucosa was increased, probably as a result of increased glycolysis or of impaired diffusion within the mucosa. The lactate concentrations in purulent and non-purulent secretions were 16.3 and 1.1 mmol x kg-1 w.w., respectively. The higher concentration in the purulent secretion was due mainly to leucocyte metabolism. The adenine nucleotide contents in the mucosa were similar in all groups studied. Anaerobic bacteria were isolated only in secretions with a high lactate concentration.     

Quantitative cytology of nasal secretions under various conditions

Quantitative cytology was performed in nasal secretions of normal control (NC), seasonal allergic rhinitis in season (SAR), perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR), chronic sinusitis with mucoid secretion (MS), and chronic sinusitis with mucopurulent secretion (MPS). The majority of inflammatory cells were neutrophils in NC, MS, and MPS; the majority were eosinophils in SAR and PAR. The concomitant appearance of inflammatory cells in nasal secretions was found, i.e., there were significant correlations between neutrophil and eosinophil counts in MPS, and between eosionophil and basophil counts in SAR. The eosinophil/neutrophil ratio was more than 0.1 in SAR and PAR, but the ratio was less than 0.1 in all NC, all MPS, and in 93% of MS; this indicates that 0.1 in eosinophil/neutrophil ratio is the critical value between allergic and nonallergic nasal diseases.     

Secretory IgA and serum type IgA in nasal secretion and antibody activity against the M protein

We studied IgA immunoglobulins in nasal secretions in order to clarify mucosal immunity of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses during chronic nasal infection. Secretory IgA and serum type IgA of 165 samples of nasal secretions were analyzed quantitatively by use of electroimmunodiffusion techniques, and the specific antibody activity of secretory IgA against the M protein of Streptococcus pyogenes was investigated by use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results show that although the secretory IgA content in nasal secretions was elevated in chronic sinusitis, its specific antibody activity against the M protein was lower than that in normal subjects. This evidence suggests that nonspecific secretory IgA antibodies are predominantly produced in chronic sinusitis, and that mucosal immunity preventing the adherence of bacteria is impaired in the diseased mucosa.     

Prevalence of noninvasive fungal sinusitis in South Australia

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to document the prevalence of noninvasive fungal sinusitis in patients with chronic sinusitis and thick viscous secretions in South Australia. METHODS: We studied of 349 patients with chronic rhinosinusitis undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery in a specialized rhinology practice. Patients with nasal polyposis and thick fungal-like sinus mucin had operative samples sent for microscopy and fungal culture. Evidence of atopy was taken as positive radioallergosorbent or skin-prick tests to fungi. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-four (38%) patients were noted to have thick, viscid sinus mucin, raising suspicion of fungal disease. Ninety-three patients had positive fungal cultures or microscopy (26.6%). It was possible to classify 95.5% of the patients into subgroups of noninvasive fungal sinusitis or nonfungal sinusitis: 8.6% of patients with allergic fungal sinusitis, 1.7% of patients with allergic fungal sinusitis-like sinusitis, 15.2% of patients with chronic fungal sinusitis, one patient with a fungal ball, and the remaining 69% of patients with nonfungal chronic sinusitis. CONCLUSION: This is the first prospective study to evaluate the prevalence of these increasingly widely recognized conditions. It highlights the need for otolaryngologists to be alert to these not uncommon diagnoses in order for early, appropriate medical and surgical management to be instituted.     

变应性鼻炎与慢性鼻窦炎的关系

目的:观察常年性变应性鼻炎患者鼻窦炎发生的原因及发生率。方法:回顾性分析57例常年性变应性鼻炎患者的临床资料。结果:18例并发鼻窦炎,发生率为32%;其中17例伴有不同程度不同类型的鼻腔解剖结构异常,包括鼻中隔偏曲、中鼻甲气化、钩突肥大、中鼻甲曲线异常和鼻丘气房过度发育等。39例单纯变应性鼻炎者只有7例伴有鼻腔解剖结构异常。结论:变应性鼻炎并发鼻窦炎的基础可能是鼻腔解剖结构异常,变态反应导致的鼻腔黏膜水肿和鼻腔分泌物性质的改变是鼻窦炎的诱发因素之一。     

"Post-nasal drip syndrome": most patients with purulent nasal secretions do not complain of chronic cough

INTRODUCTION: Post-nasal drip syndrome (PNDS) is quoted as a common cause of chronic cough. However, there is little evidence to explain the mechanism by which PNDS may stimulate the cough reflex. This cohort study looks at patients with purulent nasal secretions, who may best represent any potential candidate for PNDS, and observes the frequency of symptomatic coughing. METHODS: One-hundred and eight consecutive patients referred to a rhinology clinic with symptoms of chronic infective rhinosinusitis, all with purulent nasal secretions identified on nasendoscopy, were observed through investigation and treatment. Patients were initially treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics and nasal douching. The frequency of coughing was recorded pre- and post- treatment. RESULTS: Eighty-nine percent of patients complained of post-nasal secretions. Twenty-three (21%) patients complained of cough. Eight had co-existing asthma, 3 had bronchiectasis, 1 had sarcoid and 2 had had a recent respiratory tract infection. Therefore 9 patients (8%) had purulent nasal secretions and a cough with no other discernable pathology. Cough improved in 8 of the 9 patients following treatment. Cough improved in 9 of the 14 patients with other possible co-existing causes for cough. CONCLUSIONS: Only a small proportion of patients with purulent rhinosinusitis without coexisting chest disease complain of cough. Although nasal disease may be a genuine cause for chronic cough it is unlikely to be as common a cause as has been reported. Postnasal secretions do not appear to be an adequate cause for cough and the term 'PNDS' should be replaced by rhinosinusitis when nasal disease is the cause of chronic cough.     

Study of allergic fungal sinusitis in 40 surgical cases of chronic paranasal sinusitis

Allergic fungal sinusitis is chronic and paranasal, related to fungal allergy. Many papers on allergic fungal sinusitis have been reported in the United State, and the incidence is 5% to 10% among patients with chronic paranasal sinusitis. Although cases of allergic fungal sinusitis have been reported in Japan, the incidence is unclear. We studied allergic fungal sinusitis in 40 consecutive patients--26 men and 14 women--undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery at Keiyukai Sapporo Hospital December 2000 to July 2001. We checked for allergic rhinitis and asthma, a history of surgery for nasal polyps and chronic sinusitis, the presence of nasal polyps, grading of sinusitis via computed tomography, nonspecific IgE and allergen-specific IgE for fungi in serum, eosinophilia in nasal smears, paranasal eosinophilic mucin, and histology and fungal culture of paranasal sinus mucus. None had typical allergic fungal sinusitis, but 1 had eosinophilic paranasal mucin, high IgE, and false-positive IgE for fungi. We studied clinical data and histology of fungi and paranasal mucosa in 9 cases with fungal maxillary sinusitis, but none had allergy or eosinophilic mucin. This suggested that few patients with allergic fungal sinusitis exist among those with chronic paranasal sinusitis.     

Antileukoprotease in patients with maxillary sinusitis

Antileukoprotease, an inhibitor of leukocyte elastase, was studied in paired sera from 12 patients with maxillary sinusitis. The serum concentration of antileukoprotease was increased at the day of admission to hospital, compared with the serum concentration in convalescence sera. In purulent maxillary sinus secretions antileukoprotease was found in complex with leukocyte elastase, as shown by gel filtration. The findings suggest a local protective function of antileukoprotease in maxillary sinus.     

‘Eosinophilic Fungal Rhinosinusitis’: A Common Disorder in Europe?

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: The traditional criteria for the diagnosis of allergic fungal sinusitis include chronic rhinosinusitis, "allergic mucin" (mucus containing clusters of eosinophils), and detection of fungi by means of histological examination or culture. In 1999, a group of Mayo Clinic researchers, with a novel method of mucus collection and fungal culturing technique, were able to find fungi in 96% of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis. Immunoglobulin E-mediated hypersensitivity to fungal allergens was not evident in the majority of their patients. Because the presence of eosinophils in the allergic mucin, not a type I hypersensitivity, is probably the common denominator in the pathophysiology of allergic fungal sinusitis, the Mayo Clinic group proposed a change in terminology from allergic fungal sinusitis to eosinophilic fungal rhinosinusitis. Using new techniques of culturing fungi from nasal secretion, as well as preservation and histological examination of mucus, we investigated the incidence of "eosinophilic fungal rhinosinusitis" in our patient population. STUDY DESIGN METHODS: In an open prospective study nasal mucus from patients with chronic rhinosinusitis as well as from healthy volunteers was cultured for fungi. In patients, who underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery, nasal mucus was investigated histologically to detect fungi and eosinophils within the mucus. RESULTS: Fungal cultures were positive in 84 of 92 patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (91.3%). In all, 290 positive cultures grew 33 different genera, with 3.2 species per patient, on average. Fungal cultures from a control group of healthy volunteers yielded positive results in 21 of 23 (91.3%). Histologically, fungal elements were found in 28 of 37 patients (75.5%) and eosinophilic mucin in 35 of 37 patients (94.6%). Neither fungi nor eosinophils were present in 2 of 37 patients (5.4%). CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that the postulated criteria of allergic fungal sinusitis are present in the majority of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis. Either those criteria will be found to be invalid and need to be changed or, indeed, "eosinophilic fungal rhinosinusitis" exists in the majority of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis. Based on our results, fungi and eosinophilic mucin appear to be a standard component of nasal mucus in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.     

Na/K-ATPase in rabbit paranasal sinus mucosa during induced sinusitis

Summary Sinusitis was produced in rabbits, after which animals were separated into three groups: allergic sinusitis, induced purulent sinusitis, and spontaneous purulent sinusitis. Mucosal specimens were taken from these animals and normal controls. Na/K-ATPase was localized cytochemically and its activity studied in order to define the energy metabolism of secretion. The Na/K-ATPase reaction was unable to be clearly distinguished in either the allergic sinusitis specimens or the normal mucosa. In both purulent sinusitis groups, an intensive reaction was observed in the subepithelial glands and a weak reaction was found in the goblet cells. The Na/K-ATPase activity in the purulent sinusitis groups was significantly higher than that in the normal control group. The increased Na/K-ATPase activity may be an affect of hyperactivity of the secretory cells. Offprint requests to: M. Miyaguchi, Department of Otolaryngology, Kagawa Medical School, 1750-1 Miki-cho Kita-gun, Kagawa 761-07, Japan     

Retention fluids of chronic sinusitis induce neutrophil adherence to microvascular endothelial cells.

The adherence of circulating leukocytes to the vascular endothelium is a critical step in the emigration of leukocytes through blood vessel walls to inflammatory lesions. The influence of nasal secretions on the adherence of neutrophils to the vascular endothelium was investigated using monolayers of human mucosal microvascular endothelial cells derived from the inferior turbinate. Preincubation of vascular endothelial cells with retention fluids from the maxillary sinus of the patients with chronic sinusitis showed increased neutrophil adherence. Recombinant IL-1 beta was also tested and found to induce adherence of neutrophils to human mucosal microvascular endothelial cells. However, no adhesive effect was observed with the nasal secretions of nasal allergy. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay detected considerable amounts of IL-1 beta in the chronic sinusitis retention fluids, while the amounts of IL-1 alpha and TNF-alpha were very low. The increased adhesion of the neutrophils by the retention fluids of chronic sinusitis was also neutralized by the incubation with anti-IL-1 beta antibody in a dose dependent manner. These findings suggest that IL-1 beta in the paranasal secretion of chronic sinusitis induces the adherence of neutrophils to vascular endothelium and subsequent infiltration of neutrophils in the paranasal sinuses, thus contributing to the persistence of chronic sinusitis.     

Nasal interleukin-5, immunoglobulin E, eosinophilic cationic protein, and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in chronic sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and nasal polyposis

OBJECTIVE: To compare concentrations of interleukin-5 (IL-5), immunoglobulin E (IgE), eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP), and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) in nasal secretion and serum of patients with chronic nonallergic sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and nonallergic nasal polyposis to obtain information about the pathogenesis of these diseases. METHODS: Nasal secretion and serum were analyzed by routine enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay techniques. Nineteen patients with chronic nonallergic sinusitis, 24 patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis, and 18 patients with nonallergic nasal polyposis were included in the study. Eight healthy, nonallergic probands served as control subjects. RESULTS: Significantly elevated concentrations of IL-5 (5-fold, P < .05) and IgE (15-fold, P < .01) were detected in nasal secretion of patients with allergic rhinitis (IL-5, 51.8 +/- 13.2 pg/mL; IgE, 41.9 +/- 20.9 kU/L) or nonallergic nasal polyposis (IL-5, 57.9 +/- 36.9 pg(mL; IgE, 40.5 +/- 20.2 kU/L) compared with controls (IL-5, 10.6 +/- 7.8 pg/mL; IgE, 2.8 +/- 0.5 kU/L) or with patients with chronic nonallergic sinusitis (IL-5, 16.5 +/- 13.2 pg/mL; IgE, 5.4 +/- 3.1 kU/L). There were no significant differences between patients with allergic rhinitis and those with nonallergic nasal polyposis. Concentrations of ECP were significantly elevated (sixfold, P < .01) in patients with allergic rhinitis (297.8 ng/mL +/- 173.1) compared with controls (52.4 +/- 28.0 ng/mL) or patients with chronic nonallergic sinusitis (44.8 +/- 40.1 ng/mL), whereas twofold higher concentrations (not significant) of ECP were observed in patients with nonallergic nasal polyposis (107.1 +/- 26.6 ng/mL). Significantly elevated concentrations of sICAM-1 in nasal secretion (threefold, P < .05) were detected only in patients with chronic nonallergic sinusitis (79.4 +/- 45.6 ng/mL). The elevated sICAM-1 nasal secretion values in this group correlated significantly (P < .05) to the serum values. CONCLUSIONS: Equally elevated concentrations of IL-5 and IgE in patients with allergic rhinitis and nonallergic nasal polyposis implicated similar pathogenic processes in both diseases. Whereas the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis is IgE-specific, the pathogenesis of nasal polyps is not as clear. IL-5 was suggested to play a pivotal role in tissue eosinophilia, which was confirmed by data in the present study. Elevated concentrations of ECP were suggested to result from tissue eosinophilia--a characteristic of both diseases. Elevated concentrations of sICAM-1 in patients with chronic nonallergic sinusitis pointed to its key role in the recruitment of neutrophils into the inflamed tissue, whereas an important role in eosinophil recruitment was ruled out.