OPN is involved in cell survival, migration, and angiogenesis. The role of OPN in inducing angiogenesis in tumors has been confirmed. In this study, we investigated the expression of OPN in patients with CRS with NP and the relationship of OPN with VEGF production.
The researchers enrolled 45 subjects with CRS and 14 normal controls to determine OPN and VEGF expression. In NP tissue of the subjects with CRSwNP, the epithelial cells, interstitial cells, glandular cells, and endothelial cells were positive for OPN and VEGF staining, whereas OPN and VEGF immunoactivity in specimens of subjects with CRSsNP and normal controls was significantly reduced. We found that the immunostainings, the mRNA expression, and the protein levels of OPN and VEGF were increased dramatically in NPs compared with normal controls. OPN induced VEGF production by DNPCs in a time- and dose-dependent manner through phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase- protein kinase B and the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 pathway. Moreover, VEGF also induced OPN production, which formed positive feedback between OPN and VEGF.
The study concluded that OPN and VEGF were overproduced in NPs and that OPN induced VEGF production, which indicated that the OPN-VEGF axis might contribute to angiogenesis in NPs.
Reference: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.2500/ajra.2017.31.4449
