Objective: To explore the role of interleukin-6,8 in nasal polyp formation and to search into the effect of allergy in the pathogenesis of nasal polyps (NP).
Methods: The expression and significance of interleukin-6,8 were studied in 36 nasal polyps and 36 serum samples of NP patients by radioimmunoassay.
Results: The mean value of IL-6 and IL-8 was (2.7658 +/- 0.3797) ng/L and (4.1877 +/- 0.1758) ng/L in all nasal polyp tissue homogenates. As compared with serum of NP patients, IL-6 and IL-8 were over expressed in nasal polyp tissue homogenates. No relation was found between the expression of IL-6/IL-8 and patients' gender, age and clinical stage. The expression of IL-6 and IL-8 in patients' serum, cord blood and normal serum showed no significant difference.
Conclusion: IL-6 and IL-8 are strongly correlated with the formation of nasal polyp. Neither allergy nor infection play a role in the pathogenesis of nasal polyps.