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Biomedical subjects

A Coste

Publications and source records attributed to A Coste.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

[Sinus mucoceles and surgery in iatrogenic diseases].

The increasing number of mucocele cases treated by the authors during the past ten years coincide with the expansion of functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). The aim of this study is to evaluate the iatrogenic characteristics of this surgery by analysing the locations, time of development and the potential pathogenic factors of sinus mucoceles. Forty-two sinus mucoceles were operated in our department. These mucoceles were most frequently found in the anterior ethmoido-frontal system. Eleven patients had a history of endonasal ethmoidectomy mainly due to nasal polyposis. The time of mucocele formation after initial FESS (< 22 months) seems to be shorter than after exonasal sinus surgery or trauma (< 10 years). Endoscopic and CT-scan revealed different types of sinus obstruction findings: nasofrontal duct occlusion due to a fibrosis and osteogenic scar tissue process, or anterior ethmoid synechia in the case of ethmoido-frontal sinus mucocele, uncinate process fragment or scar tissue duct occlusion as far as maxillary sinus mucocele were concerned. We conclude that there seems to be a correlation between the expansion of FESS and the increasing number of mucocele cases. However, in this context it has to taken into consideration, that our department treats a considerable number of sinus pathology. Anterior ethmoid seems to be a favourable area for sinus mucocele formation. In order to prevent mucocele, it is essential to carry out FESS with great precaution. If endonasal surgery is performed, particularly in the anterior ethmoid, a close endoscopic follow-up, completed by radiological examinations, where necessary, must be ensured.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Management of sinonasal hemangiopericytomas.

The purpose of the present study is to report four cases of sinonasal hemangiopericytoma (HP) diagnosed and treated in our department between 1987 and 1998. The pretreatment findings and the treatment are described and discussed in the light of the literature. HP are unusual vascular tumors, featuring pericytes distributed around normal vascular channels. Two of these four cases were located in the nasal cavity and the other two were located in the maxillary sinus. Inside the nasal cavity, HP presented as a protruding reddish-gray mass with marked bleeding on contact. Electron microscopy and immunohistochemical techniques are essential for diagnosis and to distinguish HP from other sarcomatous tumors. Preoperative assessment included routine CT, MRI, arteriography and selective embolization. These tumors must be treated surgically with complete excision. An endonasal approach was performed in two cases of intranasal HP, while a combined external-endonasal approach was required for the other two cases of HP.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Mucin gene (MUC 2 and MUC 5AC) upregulation by Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

Bacterial infection of the lung is associated with mucin overproduction. In partial explanation of this phenomenon, we recently reported that supernatant from the Gram-negative organism Pseudomonas (P.) aeruginosa contained an activity that upregulated transcription of the MUC 2 mucin gene [J.-D. Li, A. Dohrman, M. Gallup, S. Miyata, J. Gum, Y. Kim, J. Nadel, A. Prince, C. Basbaum, Transcriptional activation of mucin by P. aeruginosa lipopolysaccharide in the pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis lung disease, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 94 (1997) 967-972]. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether mucin genes other than MUC 2 are so regulated and whether Gram-positive organisms also contain mucin stimulatory activity. Results from in situ hybridization and RNase protection assays showed that P. aeruginosa upregulates MUC 5AC as well as MUC 2 in both bronchial explants and cultured airway epithelial cells. The upregulation of both genes by P. aeruginosa can be mimicked by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and can be blocked by the tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein. In addition, both genes are upregulated by a variety of Gram-positive as well as Gram-negative organisms showing the same rank order of potency. These data indicate the existence of a general mechanism by which epithelial cells respond to the presence of bacteria by increasing mucin synthesis.

Bronchi↗
PubMed1998

Expression of the transforming growth factor beta isoforms in inflammatory cells of nasal polyps.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the expression and the potential role of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) in nasal polyposis. DESIGN: Comparison of TGF-beta expression between normal and inflammatory nasal mucosa and polyps; in inflammatory nasal polyps, characterization of the TGF-beta isoforms expression and their potential location in macrophages and eosinophils. SETTING: Patients and samples were selected at the Hôpital Intercommunal, Créteil, France, and immunohistochemistry and immunoblots were performed at the Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale U296 (Universite Paris XII, France). SUBJECTS: Nasal polyps and nasal mucosa were sampled in 21 patients during ethmoidectomy, and muscosa was sampled in 6 healthy patients during rhinoplasty. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis were performed using specific antibodies to TGF-beta1-3, TGF-beta1, TGF-beta2, and TGF-beta3 isoforms. Double labeling was also performed using anti-TGF-beta1 antibody together with macrophages or eosinophil-specific antibodies. RESULTS: The expression of TGF-beta(1-3) was significantly higher in inflammatory nasal polyps than in inflammatory nasal mucosa and higher in inflammatory nasal mucosa than in nasal mucosa from healthy patients. Transforming growth factor beta1 was the main isoform detected in inflammatory nasal polyps, and it was present in numerous macrophages and in some eosinophils. CONCLUSIONS: Transforming growth factor beta, mainly TGF-beta1, is strongly expressed in inflammatory nasal mucosa, where it could be produced by macrophages and eosinophils. Transforming growth factor beta could induce epithelium and connective tissue modifications and therefore be involved in the pathogenesis of nasal polyposis.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Mechanisms of the hypoglycemic effects of the alpha2-adrenoceptor antagonists SL84.0418 and deriglidole.

The effects of the alpha2-adrenoceptor antagonist SL84.0418 and its two enantiomers, (+) deriglidole and (-)SL86.0714 on glucose and insulin levels were examined in mice and in neonatal streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. It was recently demonstrated in mouse pancreatic beta-cells that both deriglidole and SL86.0714 inhibit ATP-sensitive K+ channel with similar potency whereas alpha2-adrenoceptors are blocked only by deriglidole. In the present study, we showed, in vivo in mice, that SL84.0418 and deriglidole potently reduced glycemia and antagonized diazoxide-induced hyperglycemia, whereas SL86.0714 and tolbutamide were markedly less potent. In diabetic rats, SL84.0418 and deriglidole (10 mg/kg i.p.) fully normalized glucose tolerance whereas SL86.0714 and tolbutamide only slightly improved it. Five min after deriglidole administration in mice a marked and short lasting rise in insulin levels was observed, followed by a progressive reduction of glycemia. In diabetic rats, insulin and norepinephrine levels rose 15 min after deriglidole administration. Sympathetic outflow blockade by chlorisondamine, beta-adrenoceptor blockade by propranolol or their combination markedly reduced deriglidole-induced rise in insulin levels in a similar manner. Furthermore, in chlorisondamine-treated animals norepinephrine levels were strongly lowered and not modified by deriglidole and propranolol administration. However, in spite of sympathetic outflow and beta-adrenoceptor blockade, a moderate rise in insulinemia was still observed after deriglidole administration. Taken together these data demonstrate that deriglidole is the enantiomer that mediates the antihyperglycemic and insulin secretory effects of SL84.0418. Our study suggests that the major part of deriglidole effects is the consequence of the blockade of prejunctional alpha2-adrenoceptors that have reinforced the release of catecholamines in adrenergic nerve endings and indirectly activated postjunctional beta-adrenoceptors to further potentiate insulin secretion. However, it is also suggested that another undefined mechanism is involved in deriglidole potentiation of insulin secretion.

Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Antagonists↗
PubMed1998

Epithelial cell proliferation, apoptosis, and apoptosis inhibition in inverted papillomas.

Inverted papillomas (IPs) are rare benign tumors of nasal epithelium with high recurrence rates and malignant transformation potential. Their etiology is still uncertain, and the mechanism of their growth has not yet been fully described. The purpose of this study was to detect, quantify, and compare cell proliferation, apoptosis, and apoptosis inhibition in hyperplastic epithelium from IPs and in inflammatory nasal polyps (NPs). IP samples were obtained after surgical removal of tumor in 13 patients, and NPs were sampled during endoscopic ethmoidectomy in 10 patients with nasal polyposis. Cell proliferation and apoptosis inhibition, respectively, were assessed by immunohistochemical identification of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and the oncoprotein Bcl-2. Apoptosis was evaluated by analyzing the DNA fragmentation. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were significantly higher in IPs than in NPs (P = .0002 and P = .043, respectively), while apoptosis inhibition was significantly lower in IPs than in NPs (P = .001). Concerning IPs, cell proliferation was significantly higher than apoptosis (P = .0029) and apoptosis inhibition (P = .0015). The increase in epithelial cell proliferation seemed to be greater in IPs with dysplasia than in IPs without dysplasia. Increased epithelial cell proliferation, but not apoptosis and apoptosis inhibition, seems to be involved in the development of IP.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Arterial blood pressure response to transient arousals from NREM sleep in nonapneic snorers with sleep fragmentation.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To assess the hemodynamic effects of graded arousals during nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep in patients with partial upper airway obstruction during sleep without obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea, overnight beat-to-beat BP was recorded in six patients. SETTING: At the end of each nonapneic obstructive event, EEG responses were graded as follows: grade 2, grade 1, and grade 0 were defined as increased high-frequency EEG lasting >15 s, 3 to 15 s, and no EEG arousals according to the American Sleep Disorders Association, respectively. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The following were observed during grade 0, 1, and 2 EEG patterns (mean+/-SD): systolic pressure increased by 7.1+/-1.5, 11.7+/-1.9, and 14.2+/-3.4 (p<0.005), respectively; diastolic pressure increased by 4.6+/-0.6, 6.7+/-1.7, and 9.4+/-3.0 (p<0.005), respectively; heart rate increased by 2.9+/-0.4, 3.9+/-2.2, and 8.6+/-4.6 (p<0.005), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that nonapneic-nonhypopneic obstructive events are followed by arterial systemic pressure increases whose magnitude varies with the grade of the arousal.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Effects of different mechanical treatments on nasal resistance assessed by rhinometry.

The goal of this study was to compare the effectiveness of three treatments aiming to reduce nasal airflow resistance (NR): an external nasal strip device (Respir+), an internal nasal mechanical dilator (Nozovent), and a topical decongestant (Pernazène). NR was estimated by active posterior rhinometry at both a 0.5 L/s flow (NRF) and a 1 cm H2O pressure (NRP), under four conditions: in the basal state, with Respir+, with Nozovent, and after treatment with Pernazène. The efficacy of each treatment was assessed by the percentage changes in NRF and NRP (%NRF and %NRP, respectively). The study was performed in 15 healthy subjects. The efficacy of the treatments was significantly different, depending on whether it was evaluated by NRF or by NRP (p<0.02), with %NRF and %NRP values, respectively, equal to the following: 88+/-20% and 91+/-14% with Respir+, 58+/-17% and 70+/-13% with Nozovent, and 55+/-29% and 69+/-22% with Pernazène. NRF remained unchanged with Respir+, whereas it significantly decreased with Nozovent and Pernazène (p<0.0001). No significant difference was observed between the effects of the two latter treatments. These results demonstrate that Nozovent, which involves no risk of side effects or drug interactions, is an effective treatment to improve nasal breathing. Nozovent might therefore be recommended as an alternative to topical decongestants, for certain subjects presenting with nasal obstruction.

Administration, Intranasal↗
PubMed1998

[Rhythmic pitfalls in cardiac pacing].

Some electrocardiographic appearances in cardiac pacing may suggest pacemaker dysfunction but in fact the unit may be functioning normally or have a minor fault which is easy to correct by reprogramming. A pacing rate different to that programmed may be due to the rate-response hysteresis or rate smoothing functions. Irregular pacing is often due to phenomena of inappropriate sensing. A pacemaker in the bipolar AAI mode may seem to have no output if the spike is not visible: function in AAI mode should not be interpreted as pacing catheter displacement. The practician may wrongly interpret faulty ventricular sensing in patients with AAI pacemakers and atrial fibrillation when irregular pacing is observed or when ventricular extrasystoles do not inhibit the pacemaker. In dual chamber pacing, the blanking period may result in inadequate ventricular stimulation. The phenomenon of crossed detection or cross-talk is a cause of inappropriate inhibition. Applications of the magnet blocks the sensing function: the magnet pacemaker rate is an indicator of pacemaker end of life. In fact, the magnet induces different behaviours depending on the model of pacemaker which makes it essential to know the special characteristics of each pacemaker. The application of the magnet may trigger arrhythmias or no output of pacemakers at the end of life. The A-V interval may vary with respect to its response to the heart rate, when there is a hysteresis function of the A-V interval, sensing in the "safety" gap or when anti-atrial trachycardia algorithms are activated. The acceleration of a dual-chamber pacemaker may be related to electronic reentrant tachycardia or to an atrial tachycardia: a fault or delayed activation of various anti-arrhythmic algorithms may also cause difficulties in the interpretation of the electrocardiogram.

Arrhythmias, Cardiac↗
PubMed1998

[Endonasal endoscopic surgery in the treatment of spontaneous or post-traumatic cerebrospinal fluid (csf) leaks].

The incidence and the risk of meningitidis justify treatment in all cases of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea with spontaneous etiology or after traumatic injury. Endonasal surgery with endoscopic instruments provides many advantages compared with transcranial or transfacial approach used by neurosurgeons. We report our experience and our surgical technique in the treatment of CSF leaks in 5 patients. Intrathecal injection of fluoresceine was very useful in all cases for detecting the CSF leak. Total or selected ethmoidectomy depended on the localization of the leakage. Wide sphenoidotomy enables detection and repair of CSF leaks from the sphenoid cavity. A free graft of inferior turbinal mucosal was used to repair the breache. This rapid low morbidity surgery offered secure closure of rhinorrhea in 4 cases after one procedure and in 1 case after two procedures with an average follow up of 22 months. Cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea can be managed in first line therapy with endoscopic intranasal surgical techniques when they are localized in the anterior ethmoid or in the sphenoid cavity.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Nasal cavity geometry measured by acoustic rhinometry and computed tomography.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the significance of cross-sectional areas obtained by acoustic rhinometry. DESIGN: Comparison of data obtained by acoustic rhinometry and computed tomography (CT). SETTING: Outpatient clinic. PATIENTS: Nine adults with nasal obstruction due to turbinate hypertrophy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Acoustic rhinometry and CT were performed after nasal decongestion. The acoustic area-distance curve was analyzed based on 3 notches (A1, A2, and A3) corresponding to 3 local minimal areas. Computed tomographic measurements were made in the coronal plane at 0.5-cm intervals, and the narrowest sections in the anterior (S1), middle (S2), and posterior (S3) parts of the nasal cavity were selected. Mean specific section areas and volumes were computed by integration of the acoustic area-distance curves using the same procedure for the 2 methods. RESULTS: Significant correlations were found between acoustic and CT areas in the anterior nasal cavity (A1 vs S1, P < .001; A2 vs S2, P < .005). Acoustic and CT anterior volumes from A1 to A2 and from S1 to S2 were significantly correlated with each other (P < .005). No correlation was found between acoustic and CT areas measured at the posterior part of the nose (A3 vs S3). A weak correlation was evidenced between acoustic and CT posterior volumes from A2 to A3 and from S2 to S3 (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Acoustic rhinometry may be particularly well suited to the evaluation of anterior nasal geometry during clinical studies. At the posterior part of the nose, acoustic measurements may be of limited clinical relevance.

Acoustics↗
PubMed1997

Myofibroblast accumulation induced by transforming growth factor-beta is involved in the pathogenesis of nasal polyps.

Myofibroblasts that express alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) are detected in many chronic inflammatory diseases. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) is a potent inducer of myofibroblast accumulation in tissues. In this study, scattered myofibroblasts and TGF-beta were quantified and localized in nasal polyps (NPs) and normal nasal mucosa (NM). NPs were sampled in 16 patients during ethmoidectomy and NM was obtained from 10 control subjects during rhinoplasty. alpha-SMA and TGF-beta were detected using immunohistochemistry and the numbers of labeled cells were quantified (alpha-SMA and TGF-beta indices) and compared between NPs and NM. In eight NPs, in which the pedicle was preserved, alpha-SMA and TGF-beta were evaluated and compared in the pedicle, central, and tip areas. Finally, TGF-beta expression was compared between low (zone 1), moderate (zone 2), and high (zone 3) zones of alpha-SMA positivity. alpha-SMA and TGF-beta indices were significantly higher in NPs than in NM. In the eight selected NPs, alpha-SMA-positive cells were significantly more abundant in the pedicle than in the central and tip areas, whereas TGF-beta-positive cells were significantly more numerous in the pedicle than in the tip area. The number of TGF-beta-positive cells was significantly higher in zone 3 than in zone 1 of alpha-SMA positivity. Myofibroblasts, which are abundant in NPs but rare in NM, could be involved in the growth of NPs by inducing extracellular matrix accumulation. The local development of myofibroblasts in NPs could be controlled by TGF-beta, locally produced by inflammatory cells.

Actins↗
PubMed1997

Pulmonary function in obese snorers with or without sleep apnea syndrome.

We evaluated pulmonary function abnormalities associated with the sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) in 170 habitual snorers without SAS (n = 62, apnea-hypopnea index [AHI] < 10 per hour of sleep), with moderately severe SAS (n = 56, 10 < or = AHI < 30) or with severe SAS (n = 52, AHI > or = 30). The three groups were similar regarding obesity (BMI approximately 30 kg.m-2) and smoking history (approximately 20 pack-years). Pulmonary function was assessed by spirometry, forced oscillation mechanics, and gas exchange studies. Forced expiratory flows decreased as the SAS severity increased (p < 0.001, p < 0.02, and p < 0.05 for FEF50, FEV1, and FEV1/VC, respectively). Multiple regression analysis showed that the correlation between FEV50 and the AHI persisted when smoking history was taken into account (p < 0.05), suggesting that SAS may be an independent risk factor for small airway disease. A highly significant correlation was found between specific respiratory conductance (sGrs) and the AHI (p < 0.0001). In a multiple regression analysis (p < 0.0001), variables that influenced sGrs were distal airway obstruction as assessed by FEV50 (p < 0.05), morphological upper airway abnormalities as assessed by cephalometric parameters (p < 0.02), and the AHI (p < 0.0005). SAS appears to be highly correlated to lower and upper airway obstruction, as demonstrated by a reduction in specific respiratory conductance, which adds to the increase in breathing load due to obesity.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1997

Incidence of primary ciliary dyskinesia in children with recurrent respiratory diseases.

The goal of the study was to evaluate the incidence of primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) in children suffering from recurrent respiratory tract infections (RRIs) by means of noninvasive method. Respiratory ciliated cells were collected by nasal brushing in 118 children (4.6 +/- 2.5 years) with RRIs. The ciliary beat frequency (CBF) was measured with a stroboscopic method, and when the CBF was abnormal, the ciliary ultrastructure was analyzed by a quantitative method. The CBF could be measured in 106 patients (90%) and was abnormal in 15 patients. The ciliary ultrastructure was found to be abnormal in 11 of 15 patients: PCD was diagnosed in 6 cases, and acquired ciliary defects were observed in the remaining 5 patients. Our conclusion, that PCD is rare but net exceptional (5.6%) in children with RRIs, justifies the systematic investigation of ciliated cells in such patients. For this purpose, nasal brushing can be used to sample ciliated cells even in young children.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1997

Comparative alpha-1 adrenoceptor subtype selectivity and functional uroselectivity of alpha-1 adrenoceptor antagonists.

We investigated the relevance of selectivity for a given alpha-1-adrenoceptor subtype for in vivo uroselectivity of several alpha-1-adrenoceptor antagonists (alfuzosin, doxazosin, prazosin, tamsulosin, terazosin and 5-Me-urapidil). Comparison of the affinities of these alpha-1-adrenoceptor antagonists at the cloned alpha-1a, alpha-1b and alpha-1d-adrenoceptor subtypes revealed that tamsulosin and 5-Me-urapidil showed selectivity for the alpha-1a subtype. No significant correlations were found between the affinities for alpha-1b or alpha-1d-adrenoceptors and the pK(B) values obtained against phenylephrine-induced contraction of the rabbit prostate in vitro. In contrast, the antagonist potencies in rabbit prostate were correlated (r = 0.89, P < .05) with the pKi values for the alpha-1a-adrenoceptor subtype. However, the pK(B) values were consistently smaller (by 0.6 to 1.9 log unit) than the pKi values for the alpha-1a-adrenoceptor subtype, a result that suggests that the alpha-1-adrenoceptor mediating urethral contractions does not have all the characteristics of the alpha-1a-adrenoceptor. The simultaneous measurement of urethral and arterial pressures in the same conscious male rat allows evaluation of the functional uroselectivity of these antagonists based on their respective effects on both pressures. Dose ranges were selected according to effects on urethral pressure and most antagonists were found effective within the 3 to 100 microg/kg i.v. range. Alfuzosin markedly decreased urethral pressure and either did not decrease blood pressure (10-30 microg/kg) or slightly decreased it at the highest dose tested (100 microg/kg). Doxazosin did not produce sustained reductions in urethral pressure until a dose of 30 microg/kg. Blood pressure was not reduced until 100 microg/kg. Prazosin reduced urethral pressure and blood pressure within the same dose-range whereas terazosin did not decrease urethral pressure at doses that significantly decreased blood pressure (30 and 100 microg/kg). 5-Me-urapidil, an alpha-1a-selective compound did not significantly modify urethral and blood pressure whereas tamsulosin, another alpha-1a-selective compound reduced urethral pressure and blood pressure within the same dose range. In conclusion, in the conscious male rat the functional uroselectivity is not correlated with a selective affinity for the alpha-1a-adrenoceptor subtype.

Adrenergic alpha-1 Receptor Antagonists↗
PubMed1997

[Endoscopic endonasal ethmoidectomy in severe sinusitis of cystic fibrosis. Mid-term results in 12 patients].

UNLABELLED: Sinusitis, with sometimes severe symptoms, are frequent in cystic fibrosis (CF). The aim of this mild-term retrospective study was to evaluate the functional and anatomical results of functional endoscopic ethmoidectomy (FEE) in 12 patients with CF. Nasal polyposis (9 cases) and medialization of the nasomaxillary wall (3 cases) were detected during endoscopic examination. Bilateral and multifocal opacities of the paranasal sinuses were present on the CT-scan images in all cases. A FEE was performed in 11 cases and in 1 case, only the anterior ethmoid was opened. Symptoms improved or disappeared in 9/12 cases between 1 and 3 years of follow-up and in 5/7 cases after 3 years of follow-up. A good or mild anatomical result was recorded in 6/12 cases between 1 and 3 years of follow-up and in 5/7 cases after 3 years of follow-up. During follow-up, a new surgical procedure (limited in 8 patients and complete in 3 patients) was often necessary. CONCLUSION: It is reasonable to propose FEE in CF patients with chronic sinusitis presenting severe symptoms with the aim of a substantial functional but not anatomical improvement.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Increased epithelial cell proliferation in nasal polyps.

OBJECTIVE: To detect, quantify, and compare respiratory epithelial cell proliferation in nasal mucosa and polyps from patients with nasal polyposis. DESIGN: Cohort study. SETTING: Patients and samples were selected at the Hôpital Intercommunal de Créteil (France). Flow cytofluorometry and immunohistochemistry were performed at Hôpitaux Tenon and Mondor (Université Paris [France] VI et XII). PATIENTS: Twenty-one patients undergoing endoscopic ethmoidectomy for treatment of nasal polyposis. METHODS: In 10 cases, epithelial cells were removed from frozen inferior turbinate mucosa and polyps by mechanical disaggregation and were then analyzed by flow cytofluorometry, providing the cell DNA content (propidium iodide labeling) and the percentage of S-phase cells. In 11 cases, inferior turbinate mucosa and polyps were fixed in formaldehyde and embedded in paraffin. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression in the epithelium was quantified by immunohistochemistry; a proliferating cell nuclear antigen index was calculated for each sample in the basal area, suprabasal area, and full height of the epithelium. RESULTS: All cell populations studied were diploid, and percentages of S-phrase cells were significantly higher in nasal polyps than in mucosa. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen indexes were significantly higher in nasal polyps than in the suprabasal area and full height of the mucosal epithelium. CONCLUSION: Cell proliferation is increased in epithelium from nasal polyps. Epithelial damage caused by inflammatory mediators could induce this increased cell proliferation via epithelial repair processes. Inflammatory cells could up-regulate epithelial cell proliferation by secreting growth factors.

Cell Division↗