Abstract
Objective: Macrophages are major producers of inflammatory cytokines; however, their role in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) has not been clearly defined. The aim of this study was to quantify monocytes and macrophages in sinonasal tissue of patients with various subtypes of CRS.
Method: Human sinonasal tissue was taken from patients with CRS with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP), CRS without nasal polyposis (CRSsNP), and allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS). Control tissue was taken from patients without evidence of inflammatory sinus disease. Samples were immunhisotychemically stained for macrophage/monocyte markers Mac387, CD68, and PM-2K.
Results: AFRS patients had approximately 4 times as many Mac387 and CD68 staining cells as CRSsNP and control patients (P < .05). CRSwNP patients had approximately 2.5 times as many Mac387 cells and 3 times as many CD68 cells as CRSsNP and control patients (P < .05). There were trends toward increased numbers of cells staining positively for PM-2K in tissue samples of AFRS and CRSwNP, and increased staining of CD68 and PM-2K in atopic CRWwNP patients; however, this did not reach statistical significance.
Conclusion: Macrophages are increased in CSRwNP and AFRS patients and may contribute to the immunopathology of CRS.
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