Objective: To evaluate the role of chloride channel ClC-3 in perennial allergic rhinitis.
Methods: The nasal mucosa from 19 patients with perennial allergic rhinitis were studied by immunohistochemistric staining and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for the expression of ClC-3.
Results: ClC-3 was positively stained in 17 cases of 19 patients, with a rate of 89.6%. It mainly distributed in cytoplasm of epithelium and submucosal gland. All tissues displayed expected DNA length after PCR. The relative density of ClC-3 in mucosa with allergic rhinitis was 0.685 +/- 0.114 and 0.140 +/- 0.075 in normal.
Conclusion: ClC-3 played an important role in the over-secretion of liquor in allergic rhinitis.