Association of MUC2, MUC5AC and MUC5B genes with the recurrence of nasal polyps

Although mucins were suggested to contribute to the pathogenesis of nasal polyposis, the correlation between the expression levels of MUC5AC, MUC5B and MUC2, and the recurrence of nasal polyps, has not been extensively investigated. The present study aimed to investigate the association of the levels of mucin (MUC) 2, MUC5AC and MUC5B with the recurrence of nasal polyps. A total of 56 patients with nasal polyps who underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery at the Tianjin Third Central Hospital (Tianjin, China) between June 2007 and June 2010 were included and baseline characteristics were recorded. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analysis was used to determine the expression levels of the MUC2, MUC5AC and MUC5B genes at six months following the operation. The recurrence rate was calculated at one year following the operation. Spearman's rank correlation was used to determine the association between the reduction in the expression levels of MUC2, MUC5AC and MUC5B, and the recurrence rate of nasal polyps. There were no significant differences observed in the baseline characteristics between patients with and without the recurrence of nasal polyps. Prior to treatment, the expression levels of MUC5AC, MUC5B and MUC2 in patients with nasal polyps were significantly increased compared with those in the paranasal tissues and normal nasal mucosa. The expression levels of MUC5AC, MUC5B and MUC2 were similar between patients with and without recurrent nasal polyps. In addition, significantly decreased MUC5AC, MUC5B and MUC2 gene expression levels were observed in patients without recurrence of nasal polyps compared with those with recurrence of nasal polyps at six months following the operation. The decreased values of MUC5AC, MUC5B and MUC2 in patients with recurrence and without recurrence of nasal polyps compared with baselines were significantly negatively correlated with the recurrence rate of nasal polyps. In conclusion, the present results provided novel data for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with recurrent nasal polyps.