Objective: To investigate the protein expression of B-cell lymphoma/leukemia-2(Bcl-2) and B-cell lymphoma/leukemia-x long(Bcl-x1) in eosinophils in nasal polyps and the influence of beclomethasone dipropionate on the expression.
Methods: Using May-Grünwald-Giemsa (MGG) method and immunohistochemical method, the protein expression of Bcl-x1 and Bcl-2 in eosinophils in nasal polyps from patients treated with beclomethasone dipropionate treatment and patients without any treatment was compared.
Results: (1) Nasal polyp tissues from patients without treatment had more eosinophils than those from patients with treatment(P < 0.01). (2) No protein expression of Bcl-2 was observed in all 52 patients. (3) 20.0% patients with treatment had the expression of Bcl-x1, whereas 48.1% patients without treatment had the expression. The difference between these two groups was significant(P < 0.05).
Conclusion: These data suggest that Bcl-x1 may act as an anti-apoptotic molecule in eosinophils and corticosteroids induce eosinophil apoptosis through suppressing the expression of Bcl-x1.