Nasal RANTES and eotaxin production pattern in response to rhinovirus infection

Tissue eosinophilia is a hallmark of nasal polyposis and its pathogenesis is an area of high interest. RANTES and eotaxin are both known to recruit eosinophils, however, the mechanisms triggering their induction are still uncertain, and viral infections have been suggested to be involved in this process. Therefore, we investigated whether rhinovirus infection is a stimulus for RANTES and eotaxin expression and production. Fibroblasts were cultured from healthy nasal mucosa obtained during endonasal surgery. Cultured cells were infected with human rhinovirus-16 for one to 72 hours. Following total RNA isolation and reverse transcription, RANTES- and eotaxin-mRNA levels were analyzed. In addition, RANTES and eotaxin secretion was measured in culture supernatants by means of an ELISA. Rhinovirus infection induces RANTES-mRNA expression as early as one hour after infection, persisting for up to 72 hours. Eotaxin-mRNA profiles did not alter significantly from control. Protein production was confirmatory for both chemokines, indicating distinct translational latency. Our data suggest that RANTES functions as a host defence mechanism responding to rhinovirus infection, thus supporting a linkage between rhinovirus infections and the pathogenesis of nasal polyposis.