Journal d'otologie et de rhinologie

Immunohistopathologic Distinctive Features of Primary and Recurrent Nasal Polyps

Kamil Gel, Ceren G?nel, Ibrahim Meteoglu and H. Sema Ba?ak

Immunohistopathologic Distinctive Features of Primary and Recurrent Nasal Polyps

Background: The pathophysiology of recalcitrant form of nasal polyp (NP) can not be explained but it is believed to be multifactorial.

Objective: We aimed to characterize the distinctive immunohistopathologic features of primary and recalcitrant NPs and investigate the importance these features in predicting polyp recurrence.

Materials and Methods: Pathologic sections of 61 patients following primary or revision endoscopic sinus surgery for NP were analyzed. Immunohistochemical staining of primary antibodies; CD4, CD8, TGF-β, NF-kB, TNF-α, and VEGF were performed for all sections and evaluated for presence and staining degree. We also assessed eosinophilic infiltration in all specimens.

Results: The presence of eosinophils was 53.3% for patients with revision surgery and 46.7% for patients with primary surgery. There were significantly differences in presence of eosinophils between two groups (p = 0.048). 31.9% of patients in primary group, 68.1% patients in revision group had high tissue eosnophillia. There were significantly differences in eosinophil counts between primary and revision group (p = 0.45). There were no difference in presence and concentration of other markers between two groups (p<0.05).

Conclusion: Patients with histopathologically eosonophilia may have a tendency for recurrence of the disease. Potentially, patients with high tissue eosonophillia may benefit the most from postoperative corticosteroid therapy to prevent further recurrence.