Abstract

This study investigated the expression of MUC2 and MUC5B in the ethmoid sinus mucosa of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Immunohistochemistry and fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were performed to detect the expression of MUC2 and MUC5B in the ethmoid sinus mucosa of 32 patients with CRS and 7 control individuals. Immunohistochemistry confirmed the expression of MUC2 and MUC5B in the ethmoid sinus mucosa of both patients and control subjects, and the expression of both proteins in CRS patients was significantly higher than that in control individuals (p < 0.01). The mRNA expression of MUC2 and MUC5B was 10.55 ± 3.91 × 10⁴ and 18.80 ± 15.68 × 10⁵ copies/μg in CRS patients, and 1.36 ± 0.46 × 10⁴ copies/μg and 1.49 ± 0.46 × 10⁵ copies/μg in control individuals, respectively, with significant differences between the two groups(p < 0.01). Statistical analysis demonstrated the markedly increased expression of MUC2 and MUC5B in the ethmoid sinus mucosa of CRS patients, when compared with control individuals. The expression MUC2 and MUC5B in the ethmoid sinus mucosa of CRS patients was up-regulated, and the up-regulated expression may result in mucus hypersecretion and compromised mucociliary clearance in CRS patients.

Key words: chronic rhinosinusitis, mucin, immunohistochemistry, fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction.