Interaction Between Fibronectin and Eosinophils in the Growth of Nasal Polyps

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine roles of fibronectin and eosinophils in the etiology of nasal polyposis. Study Design: We designed a cohort study of cases with nasal polyposis. Sampled nasal polyps were differentiated by their histopathologic characteristics, and compared by size and computed tomography (CT) stage. Methods: The size of nasal polyps was determined on the basis of the endoscopic findings, and the extent of sinusitis was evaluated by CT staging. Nasal polyp samples were taken from 82 patients during ethmoidectomy and differentiated by morphologic characteristics, infiltration cell types, or fibronectin positivity. Then their sizes and CT stages were compared. In addition, correlation among these histological characteristics was analyzed. Results: Nasal polyps showing edematous morphology, eosinophil infiltration, or fibronectin expression were significantly large in size. Concerning CT stages, only the infiltration cell type showed a significant difference. Significant correlation among edematous morphology, eosinophil infiltration, and fibronectin expression was also recognized. Conclusions: These findings suggest that interaction between eosinophils and fibronectin may play a role in edema formation, which contributes to the growth of nasal polyps.