Objective: To explore the significance of protein kinase C (PKC) in eosinophil (EOS) proliferation and infiltration in nasal polyp tissues.
Methods: With the methods of in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry staining, PKC and apoptosis gene (Bcl-2, Bax) expression were measured between nasal polyps from 26 patients and inferior turbinate mucous membrane tissue (ITMMT) from 20 normal persons. EOS was identified with May-Grünwald-Giemsa (MGG) staining.
Results: In EOS, the positive cell expressive rate of Bcl-2 mRNA and its protein were significantly higher in group of nasal polyps than that in group of ITMMT (P < 0.01). Although the positive cell expressive rate of Bax mRNA and its protein were slightly higher in group of nasal polyp tissue than that in group of ITMMT, the difference was not significant (P > 0.05). PKC was expressed in EOS of all 26 cases from nasal polyp tissues, but in 20 cases from ITMMT, only 7 cases showed occasional PKC expression. In both groups, PKC positive cell expression was significantly different, and the expression of PKC and Bcl-2 mRNA as well as their protein in EOS of nasal polyps showed remarkably positive relation (r1 = 0.0875, r2 = 0.0823, P < 0.01).
Conclusion: PKC expression increasing in EOS of nasal polyp tissues was closely associated with apoptosis inhibiting. So we presumed that EOS inhibiting in nasal polyp tissues was obtained by activating PKC signal transduction pathway.