EOSINOPHILIC CATIONIC PROTEIN AS A MARKER OF ALLERGIC INFLAMMATION OF NASAL MUCOSA

Abstract

Eosinophils are regarded as major cell population directly involved into late phase of allergic inflammation of nasal mucosa. We performed a comparative study, measuring the amounts of eosinophils and eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) in nasal secretions and serum samples of thirty-three patients with persistent allergic rhinitis (PAR), and twenty-five persons with chronic infectious rhinitis (CIR), to determine diagnostic significance of these parameters. Eosinophil counts in nasal secret were carried out by exfoliative cytology analysis. Sampling of nasal secretions was performed by absorption method. The samples were standardized by concentration of urea in nasal secretions and sera. ЕСР levels in nasal secretions and serum were determined by chemiluminescence assays (UniCAP 100, Phadia, Sweden). Mean scores of eosinophils in nasal secret of PAR patients were 4.6 times higher, than in the patients with CIR. Median ECP values in serum and nasal secretions of PAR patients were, resp., 30.5±28.0 μg/l and 402.7±326.9 μg/l. In patients with CIR, ECP values were 12.4±11.5 μg/l in serum and 86.9±137.4 μg/l in nasal secretions. The appropriate differences have been significant (р < 0.05). No correlations were found between ECP levels in serum and nasal secretions, as well as between ECP levels and eosinophil counts in nasal secretions. The technique of ECP determination in nasal secretions was the most sensitive approach, whereas counting of eosinophils proved to be the most specific method. ECP levels in nasal secretions well characterize an active phase of allergic inflammation and may be used as quantitative parameter for estimation of PAR severity.