A histochemical study of inflammatory lesions of the maxillary sinus mucosa using biotinylated lectins.

The distribution of glycoconjugates in normal maxillary sinus tissues, in cases of maxillary sinusitis and in postoperative maxillary cysts (POMC), was examined using seven different lectins as probes. The results showed that wheatgerm agglutinin (WGA), peanut agglutinin (PNA), Ulex europaeus agglutinin-1 (UEA-1), Ricinus communis agglutinin-1 (RCA-1), and concanavalin A (ConA) strongly react with the cilia and goblet cells. The binding of WGA, PNA, UEA-1, and RCA-1 was increased in maxillary sinusitis and POMC compared with normal maxillary sinus epithelium, whereas that of ConA was decreased. The decreased binding of ConA suggested that there were fewer mannoside residues in the maxillary sinus epithelium in the inflammatory lesion. The PNA bound to the cilia, goblet cells and mucous glandular cells in maxillary sinusitis and POMC, but not in normal, uninflamed cells, indicating that D-galactose was produced by the inflammatory condition. Similar binding patterns of PNA and RCA-1 were found in the cilia and on the surface of the epithelium and in the goblet cells. It is assumed that the carbohydrate moiety in the sinus mucosa is altered in inflammatory conditions.