Characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells originating from the bilateral inferior turbinate in humans with nasal septal deviation

PLoS One. 2014 Jun 13;9(6):e100219. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0100219. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Background and objectives: Nasal septal deviation (NSD) is often associated with overgrowth of the unilateral inferior turbinate. In vivo and in vitro studies indicate that human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are able to differentiate into multiple cell types, including osteoblasts. We tested the hypothesis that turbinate size affects human turbinate-derived MSC (hTMSCs) quantity, proliferation, and differentiation into osteogenic lineages, and that hypertrophic turbinates may predispose to NSD on the contralateral side.

Subjects and methods: The hypertrophic and contralateral inferior turbinate tissues used in our study were obtained and cultured from the tissue discarded from 10 patients who underwent septoplasty and partial turbinectomy. After isolating the hTMSCs from both turbinates, the cells were enumerated using an automated cell counter. The expression of surface markers for MSCs over four passages was assessed by fluorescent-activated cell sorting analysis (FACS), and cell proliferation was assessed using a cell counting kit (CCK)-8 according to turbinate size. In addition, osteogenic differentiation of hTMSCs was identified using alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and alizarin red S staining, after which osteoblastic gene expression was evaluated.

Results: There was no significant difference in the number of hTMSCs. FACS analysis revealed that the hTMSCs were negative for CD14, CD19, CD34, and HLA-DR, and positive for CD29, CD73, and CD90, representing a characteristic MSC phenotype, with no significant difference between the two groups. The cellular proliferation and osteogenic differentiation potential of the hTMSCs were also not significantly different between the two groups.

Conclusions: We conclude that turbinate size does not affect the characterization, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation potential of hTMSCs in vitro test, and therefore should not affect the clinical decision of whether to use autologous or allogenic hTMSCs. However, more experiments are required to definitively state the relationship of hTMSCs with turbinate size or the process NSD in humans.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Count
  • Cell Differentiation / genetics
  • Cell Proliferation / genetics
  • Cell Separation
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Humans
  • Hypertrophy / genetics
  • Hypertrophy / pathology
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / pathology*
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / physiology
  • Nasal Septum / abnormalities*
  • Nasal Septum / metabolism
  • Nasal Septum / pathology
  • Osteogenesis / genetics
  • Turbinates / metabolism
  • Turbinates / pathology*

Grants and funding

This research was supported by a Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2010-0011249), Research Fund of Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Catholic Institute of Cell Therapy in 2013, the Otorhinolaryngology Alumni Fund of the Catholic University of Korea made in the program year of 2013, the 2012 Research Fund for the Colleague of Catholic University Medical College, and the Catholic Medical Center Research Foundation made in the program year of 2013. However, the funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.