Objective: To investigate the relationship between expression of leukocyte inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)-mRNA and allergic rhinitis (AR).
Method: Thirty-five patients with AR and 30 healthy controls were included in this study. Expression of iNOS-mRNA in peripheral blood leukocyte was detected by in situ hybridization. NO in plasm was measured by nitrate reductase. Expression of iNOS-mRNA in nasal mucosal was detected in 8 patients with AR and 6 healthy controls.
Result: No expression of leukocyte iNOS-mRNA in healthy controls was found. In AR patients, the positive cells were significantly increased, the positive rate reached 40.82%. Expression of iNOS-mRNA was localized at the epithelium, gland and macrophage in healthy controls. Hyperplasia and expression of iNOS-mRNA increased at epithelium, gland and macrophage in the AR patients(t = 23.17, P < 0.001). The level of plasm NO in AR group was higher than that in healthy control group (t = 27.89, P < 0.001).
Conclusion: There is a relationship between expression of leukocyte iNOS-mRNA and the level of plasm NO in AR patients. The study provides an easy method of in situ hybridization for detecting some signal in body.