Cytokines profile in cystic fibrosis patients with nasal polyps

Nasal polyposis often complicates the progress of patients with cystic fibrosis and there has been little study about the importance of cytokines in the polyps of such individuals.

To assess RNAm expression for interleukins 4, 5, 6, 8, GM-CSF and IFN-gamma by RT-PCR in eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic polyps of patients with cystic fibrosis.

A total of 124 persons were evaluated, of which thirteen patients with cystic fibrosis and nasosinusal polyps were selected--three were eosinophilic and ten were non-eosinophilic. The control group was composed of eleven individuals with normal otorhinolaryngological exam and the mean age was 18 years (3-57). The middle turbinate mucosa and nasal polyps were biopsied from the control group and the cystic fibrosis group respectively, and these were analyzed with RT-PCR. The middle turbinate mucosa was biopsied in the control group and in the cystic fibrosis group polyps that was analyzed to RT-PCR. The polyps of cystic fibrosis patients were also further anaylsed for subjected to a second biopsy in order to determine the percentage of eosinophils. IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IFN-gamma and GM-CSF transcriptions were analyzed.

There was no difference in IL-5, IL-8 and GM-CSF when compared to the eosinophilic, non-eosinophilic and control groups (p>0.05). When compared to the eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic groups, higher IL-4 and IL-6 values (p=0.01 and p=0.01 respectively) were observed. When analyzed separately with the control group, IL-4 (p=0.01) expression was higher in the eosinophilic group, while IFN-gamma (p=0.03) was lower in the non-eosinophilic group. IL-5, IL-8, GM-CSF are non-specific cytokines present in the nasosinusal sinonasal polyps of cystic fibrosis patients. IL-4 and IL-6 are important mediators in the eosinophilic sinonasal polyps, while low IFN-gamma may be related to lower eosinophils in non-eosinophilic polyps.