BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) exotoxins have been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic sinusitis with nasal polyp. The aim of this study was to identify the interplay of S. aureus exotoxins between the nasal mucus and nasal polyp tissue. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: We have selected 30 nasal polyp with chronic sinusitis patients and 10 controls withrhinoplasty without sinusitis. Nasal mucus culture was done by smearing in nasal polyp and middle meatus. PCR analysis of the nasal lavage and immunohistochemical stainingin nasal tissue were done for the presence of S. aureus exotoxins (SEA and TSST-1). RESULTS: Nasal culture results were positive for S. aureus in 27% of the nasal polyp group compared to 10% ofthe control group. PCR analysis for SEA and TSST-1 in the nasal lavage demonstrated remarkable expression in the nasal polyp group (SEA:53%, TSST-1:60%) compared to the control group (SEA:20%, TSST-1:10%). In addition, immunohistochemical staining of nasal tissues reflected significantly higher expression of S. aureus exotoxin in the nasal polyp group (SEA:20%, TSST-1:33%) compared to the control group (SEA:0%, TSST-1:0%). There was a significant correlation between the exotoxins of nasal lavage and nasal polyp. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated that the S. aureus exotoxin in the nasal cavity might invade the nasal mucosa and have some role to play in the pathogenesis of nasal polyp.
Bacterial Toxins ; Enterotoxins ; Exotoxins ; Humans ; Mucus ; Nasal Cavity ; Nasal Lavage ; Nasal Mucosa ; Nasal Polyps ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sinusitis ; Staphylococcus ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Superantigens