Hematoxylin-stained sections of inferior turbinate (IT) and nasal polyp tissue samples (NP).

<p>The epithelium and basement membrane (dotted line) are intact and undamaged at baseline of IT (A) and NP (B) respectively and after 96 h totally incubation in uninfected control explants of IT (C) and NP (D), respectively. Extensive infection and damage to the epithelium is seen in the explants after 48 h HSV1+24h medium of IT (E) and NP (F) respectively, but not in the explants of IT (G) and NP (H) respectively after 48h medium+24 h <i>S. aureus</i> incubation. Combined HSV1 and <i>S. aureus</i> infection leads to adherence of <i>S. aureus</i> clusters to the epithelium (arrow) and partial damage of the epithelium of IT after 24 h HSV1+24 h <i>S. aureus</i> incubation (I), and complete loss of the epithelium of NP after 24 h HSV1+24 h <i>S. aureus</i> incubation (J). (All slides viewed at ×400 magnification.)