Effects of long-term low-dose macrolide administration on neutrophil recruitment and IL-8 in the nasal discharge of chronic sinusitis patients

Effects of long-term low-dose macrolide administration were studied in patients with chronic sinusitis. Twelve patients with non-allergic chronic sinusitis were orally given 150 mg roxithromycin once a day without other treatments. The patients underwent computed tomography before and after the treatment, and paranasal sinus aeration was analyzed quantitatively. The number of neutrophils in the nasal smear was semiquantitatively assessed on a grading scale, and the IL-8 concentration in the nasal discharge was measured by enzyme immunoassay. The aeration of all four sinuses significantly improved, and recruited neutrophils and the IL-8 level in the nasal discharge were simultaneously reduced after the treatment. These findings suggest that long-term low-dose roxithromycin administration inhibits the positive feedback mechanism of neutrophil recruitment and IL-8 production by the recruited neutrophils, which is considered to be an essential cause of the prolongation of sinusitis.