Expression of LC3 and ECP in allergic rhinitis and their significance

Objective:To investigate the expression of microtubuleassociated protein 1 light chain 3 beta(LC3) and eosinophil cationic protein in allergic rhinitis(AR) for further understanding of the pathogenesis of AR. Method: Twenty cases of normal nasal mucosa and 20 cases of AR nasal mucosa were collected. Histological changes of nasal mucosa were examined by hematoxylin and eosin(HE) staining. The expression of LC3 and ECP were measured by immunohistochemistry(IHC) and Western Blot(WB). Result: The tissue samples demonstrated a large number of eosinophils and lymphocytes infiltration in AR. IHC revealed that LC3 and ECP expression were higher in AR than in normal nasal mucosa(P<0.05). WB also showed that the relative expression levels of protein expression of LC3 and ECP were greater in AR than in controls. The expression level of LC3 was positively correlated with that of ECP protein in AR. Conclusion: LC3 and ECP were upregulated and positively correlated in AR, indicating that autophagy plays an important role in the toxicity of allergic rhinitis , which provides theoretical basis for the precise treatment of AR.