Kai Wang,1,2,* Qin Gao,3,* Yelong Bai,1 Rong Yu,1 Qing Luo1 

1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, FirstAffiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Otorhinolaryngology, the 908th Hospital of Chinese People’s Liberation Army Joint Logistic Support Force, Nanchang, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Central Theater Command General Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army of China, Wuhan, Hubei, People’s Republic of China

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence: Qing Luo; Rong Yu, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, FirstAffiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, No. 17 Yongwaizheng Street, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330006, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-18170846190, Email luoq@ncu.edu.cn; yurong1982@ncu.eud.cn

Objective: To study the role of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β 1) and tumor necrosis factor receptor related factor 6 (TRAF6) in the progression of epithelial mesenchymal transformation (EMT) in allergic rhinitis (AR).
Methods: A total of 30 patients underwent nasal endoscopic surgery at our Hospital were selected for 15 patients in each group based on their allergy status. Inferior turbinate mucosa tissue was obtained and analyzed using immunohistochemical (IHC) tests, real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) detection, and Western blotting (WB) tests to measure TGF-β 1, TRAF6, E-cadherin, Vimentin, and α-Smooth Muscle Actin (α-SMA) expression levels.
Results: The expression levels of TGF-β 1, TRAF6, Vimentin, and α-SMA were significantly higher in the AR group compared to the control group as shown by IHC, qRT-PCR, and WB (P < 0.05). E-cadherin expression was significantly lower group than in the control group (P < 0.05). Protein expression of TGF-β 1 showed significantly positive correlations with TRAF6 (r = 0.8188, P = 0.0002), α-SMA (r = 0.8076, P = 0.0003), and Vimentin (r = 0.6917, P = 0.0043). There was a significantly negative correlation between protein expression of TGF-β 1 and E-cadherin (r = − 0.8032, P = 0.0003). Protein expression of TRAF6 showed a significantly negative correlation with E-cadherin (r = − 0.6405, P = 0.0101) but positive correlations with α-SMA (r = 0.5809, P = 0.0231) and Vimentin (r = 0.555, P = 0.0318).
Conclusion: TGF-β 1, TRAF6, and EMT-related markers (Vimentin, α-SMA) were highly expressed in the nasal mucosa of AR patients. TGF-β 1 and TRAF6 may be involved in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in allergic rhinitis.

Keywords: allergic rhinitis, transforming growth factor β 1, tumor necrosis factor receptor associated factor 6, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, immunohistochemical