Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.,
Volume 163, Number 5, April 2001, 1226-1232
Bronchial Interleukin-5 and Eotaxin Expression in
Nasal Polyposis
Relationship with (A)symptomatic Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness
CATHERINE
LAMBLIN,
FLORENCE
BOLARD,
PHILIPPE
GOSSET,
ANNE
TSICOPOULOS,
THIERRY
PEREZ,
JEAN
DARRAS,
ANNE
JANIN,
ANDRÉ BERNARD
TONNEL,
QUTAYBA
HAMID,
and
BENOIT
WALLAERT
Clinique des Maladies Respiratoires, Hôpital A. Calmette, CHRU, Lille, France; INSERM U416, Institut Pasteur, Lille, France; Service d'Oto-Rhino-Laryngologie, Hôpital Claude Huriez, CHRU, Lille, France; Service d'Anatomie Pathologique, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris, France; and Department of
Medicine and Pathology, Meakins-Christie Laboratories, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
An eosinophilic bronchial inflammation was previously demonstrated in patients with nasal polyposis (NP) and asymptomatic bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) similar to that observed in asthmatic patients with NP, whereas patients with NP without
BHR did not. The aim of the study was to investigate the contribution of interleukin 5 (IL-5) and eotaxin to the pathogenesis of BHR associated with NP. Eleven patients with NP without BHR (Group A), 8 patients with NP and asymptomatic BHR (Group B), and 9 patients with NP and asthma (Group C) were included. Bronchial
biopsies were studied for IL-5 and eotaxin immunoreactivity and
IL-5 mRNA expression. IL-5 levels were determined in bronchial lavage (BL). Compared with Groups A and B, Group C patients exhibited higher numbers of IL-5 protein+ cells, IL-5 mRNA+ cells,
and eotaxin+ cells in bronchial submucosa. Compared with Group
A, Group B patients showed an increased number of IL-5 protein+
cells, whereas the number of IL-5 mRNA+ cells and eotaxin+ cells
was similar. IL-5 levels in BL were increased only in Group C. Our
study provides evidence of IL-5 involvement in bronchial eosinophilia and in the pathogenesis of asymptomatic BHR associated with NP, whereas both IL-5 and eotaxin are involved in asthma associated with NP.
