Expression of nitric oxide synthase in sinus mucosa of chronic sinusitis patients vs controls

Abstract

Introduction. Nitric oxide produced in the paranasal sinuses plays an important role in nasal physiology because it increases ciliary beat frequency, improves mucociliary clearance and has a bacteriostatic and virustatic effect. Several studies have shown that exhaled nasal nitric oxide was substantially lower in chronic sinusitis patients, compared to healthy subjects. This could be determined by altered nitric oxide diffusion through obstructed drainage ostia, or by chronic sinusitis patients having lower nitric oxide production. Aims. To qualitatively compare by immunocytochemistry the expression of the iNOS and eNOS isoforms of nitric oxide synthase in the sinus mucosa of chronic sinusitis patients and control subjects. Materials and methods. A case-control comparative study was carried out in order to compare by immunocytochemistry the expression of inducible and epithelial isoforms of nitric oxide synthase in nasal mucosa of chronic sinusitis patients and control subjects, with no infectious or allergic rhinosinusal pathology. Results. The results show no difference in the expression of the inducible or epithelial isoform of nitric oxide synthase in the nasal mucosa of chronic sinusitis patients as compared to healthy subjects.