Intralesional bleomycin A5 injection for the treatment of nasal polyps through inducing apoptosis.

CONCLUSION: An intralesional bleomycin A5 (BLE) injection might be used as an alternative therapy for eosinophilic-type nasal polyps (NPs). BLE-induced apoptosis might play an important role in shrinkage of NPs.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to determine the effect and explore the possible role of apoptosis in shrinkage of NPs.

METHODS: Twenty-nine patients with eosinophilic-type NPs experienced repeated local injection of BLE. The recurrence rate of this group was obtained. The mechanism of BLE treatment was investigated through an in vitro experiment. Nasal polyp tissues were treated with BLE. The apoptotic activity was detected by the presence of DNA smear and test of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling. The caspase-8 and PARP were examined through immunohistochemistry and Western blotting.

RESULTS: After several local injections of BLE, the nasal polyp tissues decreased and then disappeared. During follow-up of 3 years the recurrence rate of this group was significantly lower than another one treated with operation plus medicine treatment. Apoptosis in BLE-treated tissue was prominently detected in the infiltrating inflammatory cells. The expression of PARP and casp-8 were increased in BLE-treated nasal polyp tissue compared with PBS-treated tissue.