Objective: To further understand the pathogenic mechanism of nasal polyps, namely the cells proliferation and apoptosis in nasal polyps tissue.
Methods: The proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), apoptosis associated gene protein (Bcl-2, Bax) were determined in 26 tissue samples of nasal polyps and 14 controls from normal inferior turbinates respectively.
Results: (1) The positive expression e of PCNA, Bcl-2 and Bax were significantly higher in epithelium of nasal polyps than the controls, and the expression rate of Bcl-2/Bax, however, tended equipoise. (2) The expression of Bcl-2 were significantly stronger than Bax in glands, eosinophils of nasal polyps tissue, and there were not significant differences in inferior turbinates.
Conclusion: There is strongly proliferation activity in the epithelium of nasal polyps, and expression imbalance of Bcl-2/Bax may be one of the important factors of eosinophilia in nasal polyps tissue.