[Serum levels of IL-12, IL-4 and pathologic changes by scanning electron microscope of nasal mucous inflammation]

The serum levels of interleukin-4, interleukin-12 will be detected to elucidate and compare the involvement of Th1 and Th2 cells and the surface structures of nasal mucosa will also be observed in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR), chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps (CRSsNP) and nasal septal deviation (NSD) to obtain the characteristics and regularity of pathological changes.

The serum levels of interleukin-4, interleukin-12 were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay method. Four pieces of nasal mucosa on lateral side of middle turbinate were sampled from four patients and observed by scanning electron microscope.

The levels of interleukin-4 in AR and NSD groups were significantly higher than the healthy controls (P < 0.01). The levels of interleukin-4 and interleukin-12 in CRSwNP and CRSsNP groups were both higher than the healthy controls (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), but no differences of the interleukin-4 and interleukin-12 levels were found between them (P > 0.05). There were two points of regularity with different degrees in our observations: (1) disoriented and absence of cilium; (2) the cellular separations at cell junctions were obvious, even with cells lost.

There was an immunologic deviation towards Th2 pattern in patients with NSD the same as AR. Both Th1 and Th2 with hyperactivity participated in chronic inflammatory process of CRSwNP and CRSsNP. The pathological changes of ciliated columnar epithelium in patients with the four types of rhinitis, suggest that a comprehensive treatment including antral irrigations, multiple antibiotics, topical steroid sprays, or antihistamines, as well as nasal surgery to correct nasal deformities should be adopted, which can effectively prevent the development and expanding of the nasal mucosa inflammation.