Infection rate and virus-induced cytokine secretion in experimental rhinovirus infection in mucosal organ culture: comparison between specimens from patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps and those from normal subjects.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the difference in susceptibility to rhinovirus (RV) infection and RV-induced inflammatory response between the nasal mucosae from patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRS/NP) and subjects without CRS/NP (hereinafter, normal subjects). DESIGN In vitro study. SETTING Tertiary care rhinology clinic. PATIENTS We conducted RV infection experiments on the organ cultures of NPs and inferior turbinate mucosae from 16 patients with CRS/NP and sphenoid sinus and inferior turbinate mucosae from 19 patients who underwent transsphenoidal pituitary surgery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Successful RV-16 infection was determined by positive identification of RV on the surface fluid of organ culture using seminested reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Effects of RV on interleukin 6 (IL-6) and IL-8 secretion were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS The successful RV infection was achievable in 9 of 16 NP samples (56.3%) and 9 of 16 turbinate samples (56.3%) from patients with CRS/NP compared with 11 of 19 sphenoid sinus samples (57.9%) and 15 of 19 turbinate samples (78.9%) from normal subjects. The RV infection increased IL-6 and IL-8 secretion 236% and 173%, respectively, in NP samples, and 218% and 178%, respectively, in turbinate samples from patients with CRS/NP; compared with 231% and 145%, respectively, in sphenoid mucosa samples, and 181% and 148%, respectively, in turbinate samples from normal subjects. However, there were no statistical differences among the 4 groups. CONCLUSION These in vitro findings suggest that subjects with CRS/NP mucosa might not be more susceptible to RV infection, and did not secrete more cytokines in response to rhinovirus infection, than those with normal mucosa.