Neuropeptides in the Nasal and Nasopharyngeal Mucosa in Patients with Postnasal Drip Syndrome

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

The postnasal drip is very common symptom of sinusitis, allergic rhinosinusopathy, gastroesophageal reflux disease, but there are some patients who have a postnasal drip sensation of foreign body in the nasopharynx and a non-specific irritant cough with no other symptoms or signs of sinus inflammations or allergy. In the posterior rhinoscopy mucus discharge can be observed. Ethiology and pathogenesis of this syndrome evolution is still unclear.
The aim of the study was to identify neuropeptide appearance and distribution in nasal and nasopharyngeal mucosa in patients with isolated postnasal drip syndrome.
We investigated biopsies of nasal and nasopharyngeal mucosa from 5 adult patients who had isolated postnasal drip syndrome by conventional light microscopy and immunohistological techniques for protein gene product 9.5 (PGP), neuropeptide Y (NPY), serotonin, substance P (SP), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) and chromogranin A (CgA).
The conventional light microscopy showed very thick basal membrane, sclerosis of small blood vessels, hyperplasia of mucosal glands − neurogenic inflammation, mostly in nasopharyngeal mucosa.
Abundance of PGP-containing nerve fibres were found around glands, sclerotic arterioles in almost all cases. The main neuropeptides that were found in the mucosa of patients were VIP, NPY, CgA, mostly in the nasopharyngeal mucosa.
From mucosal tissue, the nasopharyngeal one is mainly affected by neuropeptides-containing innervation in postnasal drip patients. The main neuropeptides that are found in nasal and nasopharyngeal mucosa samples in present study were vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), neuropeptide Y (NPY) and
chromogranin (CgA). The main histological changes were thickened basal membrane, hyperplasia of basal cells, pronounced hyperplasia of mucosal glands, sclerosis of small arterioles.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationRīga Stradiņš University Collection of Scientific Papers 2011
Subtitle of host publicationResearch articles in medicine & pharmacy
Place of PublicationRīga
PublisherRīgas Stradiņa universitāte
Pages93-99
ISBN (Print)978-9984-788-58-6
Publication statusPublished - 2012

Publication series

NameScientific Papers
PublisherRīga Stradiņš University
ISSN (Print)1691-5399

Keywords*

  • postnasal drip syndrome
  • neurogenic inflammation
  • neuropeptides

Field of Science*

  • 3.1 Basic medicine
  • 3.2 Clinical medicine

Publication Type*

  • 3.2. Articles or chapters in other proceedings other than those included in 3.1., with an ISBN or ISSN code

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