Biomaterial Database

Local production of Aspergillus fumigatus specific immunoglobulin E in nasal polyps. 2003

M Weschta, and D Rimek, and M Formanek, and D Polzehl, and H Riechelmann

Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, University of Ulm, Prittwitzstrasse 43, D-89075 Ulm, Germany. michael.weschta@medizin.uni-ulm.de

BACKGROUND Aspergillus spp. play a significant role in the etiology of immunoglobulin (Ig)E mediated allergic fungal sinusitis (AFS). It is unclear whether Aspergillus spp. are also involved in nasal polyps without the characteristic clinical features of AFS. OBJECTIVE The frequency of Aspergillus spp. and Aspergillus-specific IgE in nasal lavages and serum of patients with severe nasal polyps (n = 33) without clinical features of AFS should be investigated. METHODS Prospective study. METHODS An aliquot of nasal lavage fluid was treated with dithiothreitol and examined for Aspergillus fumigatus by culture and an Aspergillus-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. An additional aliquot of nasal fluid and serum of the same patient were tested for specific IgE (Unicap, Pharmacia, Freiburg, Germany) to recombinant Aspergillus fumigatus allergen (rAspf) 1 to 6. RESULTS All patients had negative skin prick tests for Aspergillus fumigatus. Four of 33 (12%) lavage samples were positive for Aspergillus spp. by PCR. In one of these samples, rAspf-specific IgE was detected but none in the serum. Nasal lavage and serum samples of the remaining 29 patients were negative for rAspf-specific IgE. CONCLUSIONS Aspergillus spp. detection is rare in patients with severe nasal polyps without characteristic clinical features of AFS. Specific IgE in nasal secretions may be elevated in patients with negative skin prick tests and serum IgE. In these cases, immunologic mechanisms similar to AFS may be involved. Fungal etiology has been proposed to underlie severe nasal polyps in general. However, Aspergillus spp. seem not to play a significant role.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007073	Immunoglobulin E	An immunoglobulin associated with MAST CELLS. Overexpression has been associated with allergic hypersensitivity (HYPERSENSITIVITY, IMMEDIATE).	IgE
D009298	Nasal Polyps	Focal accumulations of EDEMA fluid in the NASAL MUCOSA accompanied by HYPERPLASIA of the associated submucosal connective tissue. Polyps may be NEOPLASMS, foci of INFLAMMATION, degenerative lesions, or malformations.	Nasal Polyp,Polyp, Nasal,Polyps, Nasal
D011446	Prospective Studies	Observation of a population for a sufficient number of persons over a sufficient number of years to generate incidence or mortality rates subsequent to the selection of the study group.	Prospective Study,Studies, Prospective,Study, Prospective
D004271	DNA, Fungal	Deoxyribonucleic acid that makes up the genetic material of fungi.	Fungal DNA
D000485	Allergens	Antigen-type substances that produce immediate hypersensitivity (HYPERSENSITIVITY, IMMEDIATE).	Allergen
D001232	Aspergillus fumigatus	A species of imperfect fungi from which the antibiotic fumigatin is obtained. Its spores may cause respiratory infection in birds and mammals.	Aspergillus fumigates,Neosartorya fumigata,Sartorya fumigata
D012852	Sinusitis	Inflammation of the NASAL MUCOSA in one or more of the PARANASAL SINUSES.	Sinus Infections,Infection, Sinus,Infections, Sinus,Sinus Infection,Sinusitides
D016133	Polymerase Chain Reaction	In vitro method for producing large amounts of specific DNA or RNA fragments of defined length and sequence from small amounts of short oligonucleotide flanking sequences (primers). The essential steps include thermal denaturation of the double-stranded target molecules, annealing of the primers to their complementary sequences, and extension of the annealed primers by enzymatic synthesis with DNA polymerase. The reaction is efficient, specific, and extremely sensitive. Uses for the reaction include disease diagnosis, detection of difficult-to-isolate pathogens, mutation analysis, genetic testing, DNA sequencing, and analyzing evolutionary relationships.	Anchored PCR,Inverse PCR,Nested PCR,PCR,Anchored Polymerase Chain Reaction,Inverse Polymerase Chain Reaction,Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction,PCR, Anchored,PCR, Inverse,PCR, Nested,Polymerase Chain Reactions,Reaction, Polymerase Chain,Reactions, Polymerase Chain