Objective: To study the expression of NO and TNF-alpha in nasal polyp tissue and explore the effect and relevance of them in the formation of nasal polyp.
Method: The level of NO and TNF-alpha were measured by RIA and chemical method (Griess Reaction) in nasal polyp tissue, inflammatory mucosa and serum of 33 nasal polyp patients and normal mucosa and serum of 10 deviated septum patients who hospitalized in our hospital from Nov. 1999 to Mar. 2001.
Result: The level of NO and TNF-alpha in nasal polyp and inflammatory mucosa are higher than that in normal mucosa (P < 0.01). There is significant difference of NO between nasal polyp and inflammatory mucosa (P < 0.01) but not of TNF-alpha (P > 0.05). The level of NO and TNF-alpha in serum of two groups are similar (P > 0.05). There are negative relevance tendency between NO and TNF-alpha in nasal polyp of inflammatory mucosa (r = -0.411, P < 0.02 and r = -0.476, P < 0.01). There is a positive relevance tendency of TNF-alpha between nasal polyp and inflammatory mucosa (r = 0.808, P < 0.01).
Conclusion: 1. NO and TNF-alpha play important roles in the formation of nasal polyp. 2. There is a negative relevance tendency of NO and TNF-alpha in nasal polyp tissue which reveals the possible negative feedback of NO in the inflammation. 3. The study confirms the theory of microenvironment of nasal polyp and reveals that nasal polyp is separated relatively from and associated closely with the inflammation of nasal cavity.