Hyaluronan and alpha-atrial natriuretic polypeptide in human nasal polyps: contributing factors to oedema formation and polyp growth?

OBJECTIVES: To identify and localize hyaluronan (HYA) and alpha-atrial natriuretic polypeptide (ANP) in human nasal polyps and to measure the HYA concentrations. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twelve nasal polyps were collected during routine polypectomies and processed histochemically and biochemically to determine the occurrence of HYA. The distribution of ANP was investigated using an immunocytochemical method. RESULTS: HYA was unevenly distributed, being found abundantly in the surface epithelium and basement membrane and around fibres and vessels in the lamina propria. It was also present around seromucinous glands and in the secretion of cysts in the stroma. The HYA concentration was 1,000-fold higher than in serum. ANP was abundant in the apical part of ciliated surface epithelial cells and extracellularly in the basement membrane. In the stroma, ANP was confined to apical acinar cells of the seromucinous glands. CONCLUSIONS: Osmotically active HYA and numerous ANP-immunoreactive cells, active in fluid and/or ion transport functions, are present in human nasal polyps. These substances may well be involved in oedema formation and the successive growth of nasal polyps. The high concentrations of HYA in nasal polyps may be of clinical significance for the future development of a local enzyme treatment for nasal polyposis.     

Human leukocyte antigen-A, -B, -C and -DR alleles and soluble human leukocyte antigen class I serum level in Ménière's disease

Previous studies have suggested that many human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A, -B, -C and -DR alleles are associated with Ménière's disease (MD), an inner ear disorder with a proposed autoimmune etiopathogenesis. Despite some discrepancies many reports are in agreement with a hypothesis suggesting an influence of serologically detected HLA-C products in the susceptibility to the disease. To confirm these data we investigated the distribution of HLA-A, -B, -C and -DR antigens that well define the HLA polymorphism using DNA typing. Furthermore, as autoimmune factors have been claimed to play a role in MD, we investigated the serum level of soluble HLA class I (sHLA-I). Molecular typing of HLA class I and II was performed using polymerase chain reaction sequence-specific primers in 41 patients affected by MD, 34 patients affected by other inner ear diseases (OIDs) and 101 healthy subjects. An ELISA technique was employed to investigate the serum level of sHLA-I in 17 MD patients, 10 OID patients and 83 healthy subjects. The results showed a significantly increased frequency of the Cw*07 specificities in MD patients when compared to OID patients (63.4% vs 32.3%; p = 6.9 x 10(-3); relative risk [RR] = 3.6) and healthy subjects (63.4% vs 35.6%; p = 2.28 x 10(-3); RR = 3.1). The sHLA-I concentrations detected in sera did not differ significantly between MD patients (616 +/- 271 ng/ml), OID patients (570 +/- 307 ng/ml) and healthy subjects (518 +/- 340 ng/ml).     

Ex vivo interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-12 and tumor necrosis factor-α responsiveness with monocytes from patients with head and neck carcinoma

Seventy newly diagnosed Caucasian male patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) were included in the study. All patients were less than 80 years of age, with no cachexia or auto-immune disease, and they were not taking immuno-active medications. Monocytes from these patients were cultured in vitro and supplemented with autologous serum under ex vivo conditions or cultured with serum-free medium. Comparison was made to monocytes from 59 patients with benign HN diseases. Similar physical activity levels prior to testing as well as a minimum stress load were ensured in both groups. Increased monocyte supernatant levels were determined under ex vivo conditions of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, but not of interleukin-12 (IL-12) with endotoxin stimulated monocytes of HNSCC patients compared to control conditions. Increased monokine levels were not present with mononuclear cell cultures stimulated with a T-cell general stimulatory agent or with purified monocytes not specifically stimulated. With endotoxin-stimulated monocytes under in vitro conditions, an increased supernatant was shown for TNF-α, but not IL-6. With serum from the different patients cultured with monocytes employed from a healthy control, no difference between the groups was shown in the IL-6 and TNF-α response to endotoxin stimulation. The differences in IL-1β and TNF-α, but not IL-6 levels were differentiated statistically from the smoking and alcohol histories of the patients. These findings suggest that the function of monocytes in general, and thus possibly all mononuclear phagocyte system cells in HNSCC patients, are altered. Received: 14 November 1997 / Accepted: 19 October 1998