Expression of tenascin and fibronectin in nasal polyps

To explore the role of tenascin (TN) and fibronectin (FN) in the pathophysiology of nasal polyps (NP), the expression of TN and FN in NP from 34 patients and inferior turbinates from 20 patients with deviation of nasal septum was immunohistochemically studied. In patients with NP, the relations between expression and histopathological features, eosinophils (EOS) infiltration, clinical staging and the size of NP were analyzed. Our study showed that the gray score of TN and FN expression was 163.10 +/- 10.54 and 163.24 +/- 11.52 in NP respectively, whereas it was 175.49 +/- 9.29 and 173.93 +/- 7.92 in inferior turbinates respectively. The difference between two groups was significant (P < 0.01). The expression of TN and FN in endematous type was significantly stronger than that in cystic and glandular type and fibrous type (P < 0.05). The association between FN expression and EOS infiltration was significant (r = -0.60, P < 0.01). The expression of TN and FN did not correlate with clinical staging and size (P > 0.05). It was suggested that abnormal ECM might contribute to proliferation of epithelia, accumulation of EOS and edema formation, thereby causing development of NP.