Clinical value of the high expression of corticosteroid receptor-beta mRNA in the nasal mucosa of steroid-resistant patients with allergic rhinitis.

Purpose: This study investigated clinical values of corticosteroid (CS) receptor α and β in the nasal mucosa of patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) by determining CS receptor α and β mRNA expression following steroid treatment.

Procedures: Among 120 outpatients, 65 had persistent AR, including 36 being sensitive to steroid treatment (steroid-sensitive group) and 29 being resistant to steroid treatment (steroid-resistant group). In addition, 30 patients with deflection of the nasal septum alone, which was corrected by surgery, were recruited as controls. Fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription-PCR was used to quantify CS receptor α and β mRNA expression in the nasal mucosa of patients.

Results: Results showed that CS receptor β mRNA expression in the nasal mucosa was significantly higher in the steroid-resistant group [(5.62 ± 1.28) × 102 copies/µg] compared with the steroid-sensitive [(4.62 ± 0.48) × 102 copies/µg, t = -6.67, p < 0.01] and control [(5.32 ± 0.55) × 102 copies/µg, t = -8.29, p < 0.01] groups. There were significant differences in the mRNA expression ratio of CS receptor α to β between the steroid-sensitive (658.32 ± 65.16) and steroid-resistant (525.70 ± 68.10) groups (t = 10.16, p < 0.01).

Conclusion: A high level of CS receptor β mRNA but a low level of CS receptor α mRNA expression in patients with steroid-resistant AR indicates steroid resistance. CS receptor β plays a role in evaluating the effects of steroid therapy for AR.