Nerve growth factor localization in the nasal mucosa of patients with persistent allergic rhinitis.

Back ground and objectives : Nerve grow th facto r (NG F) and NGF recept ors have be en shown to be express ed by struc tural and infilt rating inflamm atory cells in the huma n alle rgic bron chial mucosa and conjuncti va. In the nose, a positive imm unostain ing for NGF was recent ly repo rted in bio psies of subject s unde r-going surger y for refractor y nasal obstruc tion. This study was aimed at studyi ng by immu nohisto chemistry NGF exp ression and localizat ion in the nasal mucosa from sub jects wi th moderat e/sev ere persi stent allergic rh initis and natural allergen expo sure. Method s: Imm unostai ning for NGF, trypt ase an d eo sinophi l cation ic protei n was perfor med in human nasal turbinate sections of 25 patie nts affected by persi stent allergic rhini tis and sensitiza tion to Dermat ophagoi des ptero nyssinus . Resu lts: NGF was co nsistentl y exp ressed in the epithe lium and in the submucosa of allergic rhinitic su bjects, pr eferential ly local ized in eosinop hils and mast cell s. A strong NGF immuno staining was found in mucou s cells of the epithelial lining and in the submuco sal glands. Conc lusions: As previou sly shown for alle rgic asthm a and alle rgic conjuncti vitis, NGF is also detect able in the na sal mucosa of patie nts with persistent alle rgic rhini tis. The prefer ential NGF local ization in mucou s cells of the ep ithelial lining and in the submuco sal glands sugge sts a possibl e role for NGF in mod ulating secret ion in allergic rhini tis and possibly other allergic diseas es.