Expression And Significance Of IFN-λ2 In The Patients With Combined Allergic Rhinitis With Nasal Polyps

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of IFN-λ2 in the patients with combined allergic rhinitis with nasal polyps,analyze the correlation between IFN-λ2 and tryptase,IL-10,as well as IL-12,identify its peripheral blood and tissue cell origins,so as to explore the role of IFN-λ2 in combined allergic rhinitis with nasal polyps.Methods33 patients with combined allergic rhinitis with nasal polyps(AR + NP)and20 healthy control subjects(HC)were recruited in the study,respectively.Peripheral venous blood sample(5 ml)was collected from each patient and HC,and was immediately processed to collect cells and plasma for analysis.Enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay was used to detect the levels of IFN-λ2,tryptase,IL-10 and IL-12 in the plasma,the correlation between the cytokines was analyzed in the patients with AR + NP;flow cytometry analysis was used to detect the expression of IFN-λ2 in peripheral blood leukocytes.Nasal polyps were collected from the above-mentioned 8 AR + NP patients.Immunohistochemical staining technique was used to detect the expression of IFN-λ2 in nasal polyps;Nasal polyps tissue were dispersed into single cell suspension,then,according to the immunohistochemical staining results,some related tissue cells were choosed for flow cytometry analysis to examin the expression of IFN-λ2.Results1.Comparation of plasma levels of IFN-λ2,tryptase,IL-10 and IL-12 between the patients with AR + NP and HC: The plasma levels of IFN-λ2 and tryptase were elevated in the patients with AR + NP than HC,the difference was statistically significant(P < 0.05);the plasma levels of IL-10 and IL-12 were decreased in the patients with AR + NP than HC,the difference was statistically significant(P < 0.05).2.The correlation between IFN-λ2 and tryptase,IL-10,as well as IL-12 in the plasma of patients with AR + NP: There were positive correlation between IFN-λ2 and tryptase(r = 0.613,P < 0.05)and negative correlation between IFN-λ2 and IL-10(r =-0.606,P < 0.05),there was no correlation between IFN-λ2 and IL-12(r =-0.378,P > 0.05).3.Expression of IFN-λ2 in peripheral blood leukocytes: The results showed that IFN-λ2 was predominately expressed in the neutrophils and monocytes,weakly expressed in B cells and basophils,but the CD4+ T cells(including Th1,Th2,Th17 and Treg cells),cytotoxic T cells and eosinophils did not express IFN-λ2 in HC.In the patients with AR + NP,IFN-λ2 was mainly expressed in the cytotoxic T cells,eosinophils,monocytes and neutrophils,weakly expressed in B cells and basophils,and the same as HC,the CD4+ T cells(including Th1,Th2,Th17 and Treg cells)of the patients with AR + NP also did not express IFN-λ2.Compared with HC,IFN-λ2 expression was upregulated in cytotoxic T cells and eosinophils,but downregulated in monocytes and neutrophils in the patients with AR + NP,all the above difference was statistically significant(P <0.05).However,the difference of the IFN-λ2 expression in the B cells and basophils between the patients with AR + NP and HC was not statistically significant(P > 0.05).4.Expression of IFN-λ2 in nasal polyps of the patients with AR + NP: Theresult of immunohistochemical staining showed that IFN-λ2 clearly expresses in some large cells in nasal polyps(most likely mast cells or macrophages).The result of flow cytometry analysis indicated that dispersed human nasal polyps both mast cells and macrophages expresse IFN-λ2.Conclusions1.The elevated levels of IFN-λ2 in the plasma of patients with AR + NP,and the positive correlations between IFN-λ2 and tryptase in the plasma of patients with AR + NP indicate that IFN-λ2 is likely to contribute to the pathogenesis of combined allergic rhinitis with nasal polyp.2.IFN-λ2 expression was upregulated in cytotoxic T cells and eosinophils of patients with AR + NP than HC,which shows that the two kind cells are the main peripheral blood cell sources of elevated plasma IFN-λ2 in patients with AR + NP.3.Nasal polyps mast cells and macrophages of the patients with AR + NP expresse IFN-λ2,which manifest that IFN-λ2 tissue cell origins include mast cells and macrophages.