
<ArticleTitle>Expression of <prot>transforming growth factor-beta 1</prot> and <prot>alpha-smooth muscle actin</prot> of myofibroblast in the pathogenesis of nasal polyps.</ArticleTitle>
<AbstractText>The pathophysiology of nasal polyps remains unclear, but recent work suggests that many cytokines are produced in nasal polyps (NPs) and that they may play various important roles in the pathogenesis of NPs. <prot>Transforming growth factor-beta 1</prot> (<prot>TGF-beta 1</prot>), secreted by many inflammatory cells, is a potent inducer of myofibroblasts. Myofibroblasts express <prot>alpha-smooth muscle actin</prot> (<prot>alpha-SMA</prot>) and a source of extracellular matrix (ECM). In this study, we investigated a potential link between inflammation and the growth process in human NPs. Sixteen patients who were affected by NPs and who had undergone functional endoscopic sinus surgery were included in this study. Nasal mucosa of inferior turbinate (NM) of 10 patients who had received rhinoplasty or turbinectomy for other disease was used as the control. <prot>alpha-SMA</prot> and <prot>TGF-beta 1</prot> were detected using immunohistochemistry and the number of labeled cells were counted (<prot>alpha-SMA</prot> and <prot>TGF-beta 1</prot> indices). The expression of <prot>alpha-SMA</prot> and <prot>TGF-beta 1</prot> indices found in NPs and NM was compared using Student's t-test. In our study, <prot>alpha-SMA</prot> and <prot>TGF-beta 1</prot> indices were found to be significantly higher in nasal polyps than in nasal mucosa. <prot>TGF-beta 1</prot> produced by inflammatory cells can influence the development of myofibroblasts which in turn can induce extracellular matrix accumulation and, therefore, <prot>TGF-beta 1</prot> plays a important role in the formation of nasal polyps.</AbstractText>
