Expression and significance of growth differentiation factor 15 and MUC5AC in chronic rhinosinusitis

Abstract

Objective:To investigate the expression of growth factor differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) in the nasal mucosa of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and its relationship with mucin 5AC(MUC5AC).Method:Fifteen patients with CRS and nasal polyps, 15 patients with CRS without nasal polyps and 15 patients with normal nasal mucosa were enrolled in the study. Hisological changes of sinonasal mucosa were examined by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) stainding. The expression of total mucins was evaluated by periodic acid Schiff staining(PAS). And the expression of GDF15 and MUC5AC were measured by immunohistochemistry (IHC), and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).Result:The tissuse samples demonstrated mucaosal thicking, goblet cell hyperplasia, glandular hyperplasia and inflammatory cell infiltration in CRSwNP and CRSsNP. IHC revealed that GDF15 and MUC5AC expression higher in CRSwNP and CRSsNP than in normal sinus mucosa (P< 0.05). qRT-PCR also displays that the relative expression levles of mRNA exprssion of GDF15 and MUC5AC were higher in CRSwNP and CRSsNP than in controls.And the expression level of GDF15 was positively correlated with that of MUC5AC mRNA in CRS.Conclusion:GDF15 and MUC5AC were upregulated in CRS with or without nasal polyps, indicating that GDF15 is an important factor in the process of hypersecretion of MU5AC in CRS.