THE USE OF IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY TO DETECT INTERLELTKIN 1 AND QUANTIFY ITS RECEPTORS IN THE HUMAN NASAL MUCOSA

Abstract

The nasal mucosa is the portal of entry of allergens in subjects with allergic rhinitis. Allergic rhinitis is a chronic health condition characterized in part by inflammation of the nasal mucosa. Interleukin 1 is a key pro-inflammatory cytokine and is the costimulatory signal for the T cell response to antigen. The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that the allergic response quantitatively alters IL-1 or its receptors in the human nasal mucosa. Carnoy's fixed paraffin-embedded sections of nasal mucosa were stained for IL-1 and the IL-1 receptors. The number of positive staining cells in the first 200 micrometers below the basement membrane were counted and these values were compared amongst normal subjects and subjects with allergic rhinitis both in and out of their allergy seasons. IL-1 and the type I IL-1 receptor were not detected immunohistochemically. The type II IL-1 receptor was quantified on T cells and B cells. The percent of T cells which stained positive for the type II receptor were 53.5%, 32.3%, and 27.0% for atopics in season, atopics out season, and normal volunteers. In the epithelium, the percent of T cells staining positively for the type II receptor were 29.1%, 41.4%, and 19.1% for atopics in season, atopics out season, and normal volunteers. The percent of B cells positive for the type II receptor for atopics in season, atopics out season, and normal volunteers were 27.7%, 25.9%, and 4.7% respectively. IL-1 type II receptor expression is therefore upregulated in atopics. The lack of positive staining for IL-1, the IL-1 type I receptor, and macrophages in the tissue sections suggest that the initial phase of the immune response may not take place in the nasal mucosa.