Objective: To explore the feature of nasal mucosa remodeling in chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps (CRSsNP).
Method: Histological specimens from 30 selected patients with CRSsNP who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery and 10 control subjects were studied. The paraffin sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin(HE), alcian blue-periodic acid-Schiff (AB-PAS), Masson trichrome (MT) and Picric acid-Sirius red. The damage of epithelium, goblet cells and gland hyperplasia, deposition of collagen in extracellular matrix, the thickness of basement membrane and the type of collagen were observed respectively.
Result: Grade 0, Grade 1, Grade 2 and Grade 3 of epithelial damage were significantly different in the CRSsNP group when compared with the control group (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). Evident mucus gland hyperplasia and collagen deposition in extracellular matrix were observed in CRSsNP group (P < 0.01). The number of goblet cells and the thickness of basement membrane were increased obviously in CRSsNP group (P < 0.01). The collagen deposited in extracellular matrix was mainly composed of collagen type I. Collagen type III and collagen type IV was much less than collagen type I.
Conclusion: The nasal mucosa remodeling was observed in CRSsNP group and was characterized by epithelial damage, basement membrane thickening, deposition of collagen in extracellular matrix, goblet cells and mucus gland hyperplasia.