Epithelium-derived kallistatin promotes CD4+ T-cell chemotaxis to TH2-type inflammation in chronic rhinosinusitis.

BACKGROUND: The function of kallistatin in airway inflammation, particularly chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), has not been elucidated. OBJECTIVE: We sought to investigate the role of kallistatin in airway inflammation. METHODS: Kallistatin and proinflammatory cytokine expression levels were detected in nasal polyps. For the in vivo studies, we constructed the kallistatin-overexpressing transgenic mice to elucidate the role of kallistatin in airway inflammation. Furthermore, the levels of plasma IgE and proinflammatory cytokines in the airways were evaluated in the kallistatin-/- rat in vivo model under a type 2 inflammatory background. Finally, the Notch signaling pathway was explored to understand the role of kallistatin in CRSwNP. RESULTS: We showed that the expression of kallistatin was significantly higher in nasal polyps than in the normal nasal mucosa and correlated with IL-4 expression. We also discovered that the nasal mucosa of kallistatin-overexpressing transgenic mice expressed higher levels of IL-4 expression, associating to TH2-type inflammation. Interestingly, we observed lower IL-4 levels in the nasal mucosa and lower total plasma IgE of the kallistatin-/- group treated with house dust mite allergen compared with the wild-type house dust mite group. Finally, we observed a significant increase in the expression of Jagged2 in the nasal epithelium cells transduced with adenovirus-kallistatin. This heightened expression correlated with increased secretion of IL-4, attributed to the augmented population of CD4+CD45+Notch1+ T cells. These findings collectively may contribute to the induction of TH2-type inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: Kallistatin was demonstrated to be involved in the CRSwNP pathogenesis by enhancing the TH2 inflammation, which was found to be associated with more expression of IL-4, potentially facilitated through Jagged2-Notch1 signaling in CD4+ T cells.

Therapeutic potential of recombinant human basic fibroblast growth factor on postoperative patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the effect of intranasal administration of recombinant human basic fibroblast growth factor (rh-bFGF) on postoperative chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) patients. DESIGN: A prospective, randomised, controlled, single-blinded trial. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-five hospitalised patients who met the criteria of primary bilateral CRSwNP were enrolled from March 2020 to January 2021. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Visual analogue scale, 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test, Lund-Kennedy (L-K) system and scanning electron microscopy and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Seventy-five patients with CRSwNP were randomly assigned to three groups, and 72 patients completed the 1-month medication regimen and 1-year follow-up. Rh-bFGF nasal-spray and drop application reduced general nasal VAS scores within 2 weeks after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) compared to the control group. In contrast, only rh-bFGF nasal-drops reduced SNOT-22 scores at 2 weeks and 1 year compared with the control group. A significant reduction in the endoscopic L-K score was observed in the rh-bFGF nasal-spray and drop group compared with the control group. This is primarily because rh-bFGF promotes cilia growth in the nasal mucosal epithelium after the operation, as illustrated by scanning electron microscopy and expression of CP110, Tap73 and Foxj1 mRNA. For eosinophilic CRSwNP, the general VAS score of rh-bFGF nasal-drops was more obviously reduced compared to the control group after ESS. A similar trend was observed for L-K score. CONCLUSIONS: Rh-bFGF nasal-drops and sprays can quickly and effectively relieve postoperative symptoms and improve long-term prognosis of patients with CRSwNP. Moreover, rh-bFGF nasal-drops is also an effective method for postoperative patients with eosinophilic CRSwNP.

A novel risk score for disease control prediction of chronic rhinosinusitis.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of risk factors on the disease control among chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients, following 1 year of functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS), and combining the risk factors to formulate a convenient, visualised prediction model. DESIGN: A retrospective and nonconcurrent cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A total of 325 patients with CRS from June 2018 to July 2020 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, the Third Affliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, the Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: Outcomes were time to event measures: the disease control of CRS after surgery 1 year. The presence of nasal polyps, smoking habits, allergic rhinitis (AR), the ratio of tissue eosinophil (TER) and peripheral blood eosinophil count (PBEC) and asthma was assessed. The logistic regression models were used to conduct multivariate and univariate analyses. Asthma, TER, AR, PBEC were also included in the nomogram. The calibration curve and area under curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the forecast performance of the model. RESULTS: In univariate analyses, most of the covariates had significant associations with the endpoints, except for age, gender and smoking. The nomogram showed the highest accuracy with an AUC of 0.760 (95% CI, 0.688-0.830) in the training cohort. CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort study that included the asthma, AR, TER, PBEC, which had significantly affected the disease control of CRS after surgery. The model provided relatively accurate prediction in the disease control of CRS after FESS and served as a visualised reference for daily diagnosis and treatment.

A novel nomogram to predict the overall survival in esthesinoeroblastoma.

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence indicates that the pathology and the modified Kadish system have some influence on the prognosis of esthesioneuroblastoma (ENB). However, an accurate system to combine pathology with a modified Kadish system has not been established. METHODS: This study aimed to set up and evaluate a model to predict overall survival (OS) accurately in ENB, including clinical characteristics, treatment and pathological variables. We screened the information of patients with ENB between January 1, 1976, and December 30, 2016 from the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program as a training cohort. The validation cohort consisted of patients with ENB at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center and The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University in the same period, and 87 patients were included. The Pearson's chi-squared test was used to assess significance of clinicopathological and demographic characteristics. We used the Cox proportional hazards model to examine univariate and multivariate analyses. The model coefficients were used to calculate the Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Prognostic factors with a p-value < 0.05 in multivariate analysis were included in the nomogram. The concordance index (c-index) and calibration curve were used to evaluate the predictive power of the nomogram. RESULTS: The c-index of training cohort and validation cohort are 0.737 (95% CI, 0.709 to 0.765) and 0.791 (95% CI, 0.767 to 0.815) respectively. The calibration curves revealed a good agreement between the nomogram prediction and actual observation regarding the probability of 3-year and 5-year survival. We used a nomogram to calculate the 3-year and 5-year growth probability and stratified patients into three risk groups. CONCLUSIONS: The nomogram provided the risk group information and identified mortality risk and can serve as a reference for designing a reasonable follow-up plan.

MiR-146a Promotes Tolerogenic Properties of Dendritic Cells and through Targeting Notch1 Signaling.

BACKGROUND: MiR-146a has been shown to negatively regulate innate immune, inflammatory response and antiviral pathway, however, its role in the tolerogenic responses remains largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the role of miR-146a in the OVA-induced allergic inflammation of dendritic cells (DCs). METHODS: Bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs) were treated with OVA (100 µg/ml) for 24 h. MiR-146a expressions were assessed by quantitative RT-PCR. BMDCs were transfected with miR-146a mimics or inhibitor. Cell surface markers were analyzed by flow cytometry. Cytokine levels were determined by ELISA assay. Mixed lymphocyte culture assay was adopted to assess CD4 + T-cell differentiation. The 3' UTR luciferase reporter assay was utilized to determine the miRNA target sequence. RESULTS: OVA treatment significantly up-regulated miR-146a in BMDCs in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In the OVA-treated DCs, overexpression of miR-146a (mimics transfection) down-regulated the surface markers (CD80, CD86) and increased production of anti-inflammatory cytokines TGF-ß1 and IL-10 but decreased pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-12. MiR-146a overexpression promoted immature DC to induce regulatory T cells (Treg) differentiation. By contrast, transfection of miR-146a inhibitor into DC exhibited the opposite trends. Notch1 was a direct target of miR-146a, and Notch1 knock-down induced similar effects as miR-146a mimics transfection in BMDCs. Moreover, the effect of miR-146a inhibitor on OVA-induced DC was attenuated by Notch1 knock-down. CONCLUSION: miRNA-146a promoted tolerogenic properties of DCs, at least partially, through targeting Notch1 signaling.

LL-37 promotes neutrophil extracellular trap formation in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

BACKGROUND: Neutrophil accumulation has been observed in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). However, the functions of neutrophils are poorly understood. Neutrophils produce neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which are involved in a variety of chronic inflammatory pathologies. LL-37 is the only member of the cathelicidin family in human. OBJECTIVE: Our aims were to examine the presence of NETs in CRSwNP and to investigate the regulatory effect of LL-37 on NET formation. METHODS: Nasal polyp tissues were investigated for the presence of NETs by using immunofluorescent (IF) staining. The expression and distribution of LL-37 were examined by using quantitative RT-PCR, ELISA, IF, and immunohistochemistry. Purified peripheral neutrophils were stimulated with LL-37 and stained with IF to identify NETs. NETs% was defined as percentage of NET-generating neutrophils to the total number of neutrophils. RESULTS: Neutrophil extracellular traps were located in the subepithelial layer of nasal polyps and control tissues. Nasal polyps had higher NETs% compared with that of controls (23.01% ± 3.43% vs 4.52% ± 1.33%, P < 0.0001). NET count was also increased in nasal polyps. NET count correlated with neutrophil count (r = 0.908, P < 0.001). LL-37 protein and mRNA levels were upregulated in nasal polyps. LL-37 was distributed in the epithelial and subepithelial layer and mainly expressed by neutrophils. Moreover, LL-37 promoted peripheral neutrophils to form NETs in a dose-dependent manner ex vivo. Interestingly, dexamethasone did not inhibit the effect of LL-37 on inducing NET formation. Furthermore, peripheral neutrophils from CRSwNP patients were more susceptible to LL-37-mediated NET formation, compared with neutrophils derived from control subjects. In addition, NETs released LL-37 in vivo and ex vivo. CONCLUSION: Neutrophil extracellular traps are significantly increased in nasal polyps and LL-37 induces NET formation in CRSwNP patients. These findings indicate that NETs may contribute to the pathogenesis of neutrophilic inflammation in CRSwNP.

Effect of Cellulose Powder on Human Nasal Epithelial Cell Activity and Ciliary Beat Frequency.

BACKGROUND: Cellulose powder (CP) has been reported as a safe and effective complementary treatment for allergic rhinitis (AR). Currently, CP has gained increasing application for clinical management worldwide, particularly in China. However, studies focusing on the effect of CP on normal human nasal epithelial cells (hNECs) and ciliary function are lacking. Here, we aimed to explore the adverse effects of CP on the activity and ciliary function of hNECs. METHODS: We biopsied ethmoid sinus or middle turbinate tissues during surgical resection from control subjects who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery for diseases other than AR. Cells were isolated and passaged, followed by differentiation in an air-liquid interface (ALI). Flow cytometry and cell viability test (cell counting kit-8) were performed to detect the cytotoxicity of CP (effects on cell proliferation) on normal hNECs. By using the ALI culture model, we investigated the effects of CP on ciliary beat frequency (CBF). RESULTS: There was a significant reduction in hNEC count at high concentrations of CP (2.5 mg/mL) at days 3 and 7 (both p < 0.05). As the concentration increased, cell death increased progressively from day 3 to day 7. However, these effects were not evident at low concentrations (0.25 mg/mL, p > 0.05). High-dose CP (2.5 mg) significantly reduced the CBF (p < 0.05). At lower concentrations (0.25-2.5 mg/mL), CP initially increased but subsequently reduced the CBF of hNECs compared with control group. CONCLUSIONS: Cytotoxicity and the suppression of ciliary beat at high concentrations justify more prudent use of CP for the management of AR.

Quality analysis of smart phone sleep apps in China: can apps be used to conveniently screen for obstructive sleep apnea at home?

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder with a high prevalence in China. Standard diagnosis of OSA requires polysomnography (PSG). Currently, smart phone applications (apps) are widely used as an important source of health guidance. However, the quality of the information provided by these apps has not been carefully assessed. METHODS: We searched for sleep apps available in China. We designed an evaluation scale that included scientific, functionality and usability, and accountability domains. The Scientific domain included an index of 16 items to evaluate the scientific quality of the apps for their level of adherence to PSG. The functionality and usability domain included 10 items to evaluate the functions of apps and 1 item to define whether the apps needed to connect with other devices. The accountability domain included 9 items that came from the Silberg Scale to evaluate whether the information provided by apps were trustable or not. We then calculated the sum of all domains. We also evaluated the popularity of each app. RESULTS: A total of 2379 apps were found, and 127 met the inclusion criteria. The mean total score of the apps was 14.23 ± 3.93. The mean scores of scientific basis, functionality and usability, and accountability were 5.51 ± 2.58, 2.90 ± 1.84, and 2.90 ± 1.84. The scientific scores of apps that could connect to other devices were higher than those of apps that worked alone (mean score: 5.26 vs. 4.17, P < 0.001). The functionality and usability score was correlated with the accountability score, and the coefficient of correlation was 0.304 (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Apps that could connect to other devices were more scientific and powerful than those that worked alone. Multifunctional apps were more popular and reliable. Because of the low quality of sleep apps in China, more work is necessary to create an ideal app.

The effects of endoscopic sinus surgery on pulmonary function in chronic rhinosinusitis patients with asthma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Evidences showed improvements in clinical asthma outcomes following endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients with asthma. However, pulmonary function benefits have remained controversial up to date. The goal of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the effects of ESS on pulmonary function tests in CRS patients with asthma. METHODS: Pubmed, Embase and Cochrane Library were searched up to March 2018 to obtain relevant studies. The researches that evaluated the effects of ESS on pulmonary function in CRS patients with asthma and had at least one parameter of pulmonary function tests before and after surgery were included in the study. RESULTS: A total of 13 studies containing 421 patients satisfied the eligibility after judgment by 2 reviewers. These included three RCTs and ten case series. The heterogeneity in parameters of spirometry and difference in data presented forms across studies along with the lack of standard deviation of some data make it difficult to synthesize results. If data were unavailable for meta-analyses, descriptive statistics were used to report study outcomes. After qualitative and quantitative analysis, the weighted mean change after ESS in forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of vital capacity (FEF25-75%) was 0.21 L/s (95% CI 0.12-0.30); eight of ten studies supported that forced expiratory volume at 1 s (FEV1) improved after ESS; five of six studies supported that peak expiratory flow (PEF) improved after ESS. However, strength of evidence is generally low to insufficient. CONCLUSION: A generally low-quality evidence supports the association between ESS and improvements in FEF25-75%, FEV1 and PEF. A few studies met inclusion criteria for meta-analysis, which indicates the need for more high-quality studies to determine the effect of ESS.

The ratio of 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1/11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 predicts glucocorticoid response in nasal polyps.

BACKGROUND: Glucocorticoids are the first-line medical treatment for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), whose local metabolism is catalyzed by 11ß-HSD1 and 11ß-HSD2. This study investigates the role of 11ß-HSD1 and 11ß-HSD2 on the glucocorticoid response of CRSwNP patients and the pathogenic mechanism of these polyps. METHODS: Forty-three adult CRSwNP patients were enrolled in this study. We evaluated the endoscopic scores by a nasal polyp grading system before and after treatment. We estimated the response to glucocorticoids by the total endoscopic scores. The logistic regression models and inflammatory characteristic curves were conducted to explore the prediction of the response to glucocorticoid in CRSwNP. The expression of 11ß-HSD1 and 11ß-HSD2 on human sinonasal epithelial cells (HSECS) was measured under the stimulation of toll-like receptor agonists and dexamethasone. RESULTS: The endoscopic scores in the CRSwNP group declined, the expression of 11ß-HSD1/11ß-HSD2 increased (r = 0.5276, P = 0.0011), and the cutoff value of the ratio of 11ß-HSD1/11ß-HSD2 was 0.4654 (sensitivity 79.17%, specificity 88.89%). Dexamethasone induced a decrease in the ratio of 11ß-HSD1/11ß-HSD2 (P = 0.049) by the stimulation of PGN-BS. CONCLUSION: We found a strong correlation between the response to glucocorticoids and the ratio of 11ß-HSD1/11ß-HSD2, which could be used as a marker in predicting the level of tissue response to glucocorticoid therapy in CRSwNP. In addition, PGN-BS could also be a therapeutic target, as it is the negative factor that will decrease the sensitivity of glucocorticoids by reducing the ratio of 11ß-HSD1/11ß-HSD2.

The TH2-polarizing function of atopic interleukin 17 receptor B-positive dendritic cells up-regulated by lipopolysaccharide.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest that epithelial cell (EC)-derived cytokines contribute to allergic airway disease exacerbation. OBJECTIVE: To confirm our hypothesis that atopic dendritic cells (DCs) are activated to up-regulate the receptors of cytokines that mainly derived from ECs and enhance TH2 responses. METHODS: The expressions of interleukin 17 receptor B (IL-17RB) (IL-25 receptor), membrane-bound ST2 (IL-33 receptor), thymic stromal lymphopoietin receptor (TSLPR), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor (GM-CSFR), and several functional markers on CD1c+ monocyte-derived DCs (mo-DCs) were detected by flow cytometry. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated mo-DCs were cocultured with autologous CD4+ T cells, and cytokine production by these T cells was determined by intracellular flow cytometry. RESULTS: LPS activated both nonatopic and atopic mo-DCs to express a higher level of GM-CSFR but only activated atopic mo-DCs to express increased IL-17RB, which was subsequently activated by IL-25 involved with signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 phosphorylation. In addition, LPS increased the expression of the OX40 ligand (OX40L) but decreased inducible costimulator ligand on atopic CD86+ mo-DCs. More importantly, IL-25 further up-regulated OX40L on atopic CD86+ mo-DCs. After coculturing with LPS-activated mo-DCs from atopic individuals, CD4+ T cells had enhanced inflammatory responses by increased production of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, and interferon γ (IFN-γ). In contrast, further addition of IL-25 led CD4+ T cells to produce higher level of IL-4 but lower level of IFN-γ. CONCLUSION: Atopic IL-17RB+ DCs can be up-regulated by LPS and promote a TH2-type response, implying that the IL-25/IL-17RB pathway may represent a potential molecular mechanism underlying the regulation of ECs on DCs in allergic airway disease.

Outcomes of endoscopic sinus surgery in patients with central compartment atopic disease.

Background: Central compartment atopic disease (CCAD) is a subtype of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Research focusing on the endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) outcomes of CCAD is limited. This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of ESS in CCAD and compared to 2 following subtypes: chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and concomitant polypoid disease in the central compartment (CRSwNP/CC) and CRSwNP not otherwise specified (CRSwNP NOS). Methods: This case-control study enrolled patients with bilateral CRSwNP who underwent ESS and had at least 1 year of follow-up. Patients were classified into CCAD, CRSwNP/CC, and CRSwNP NOS. The demographic data, preoperative disease severity, and surgery outcomes, including CRS control status, endoscopic score, and symptom scores at 1 year postoperatively, were collected. We defined well controlled and partly controlled as appropriate disease control. Results: This study screened 259 patients and enrolled 138 patients with complete medical records and 1-year follow-up (CCAD N = 51, CRSwNP/CC N = 55, CRSwNP NOS N = 32). Among them, appropriate disease control was achieved in 84.3% of patients (43/51) in the CCAD group, 69.1% (38/55) in the CRSwNP/CC group, and 93.7% (30/32) in the CRSwNP NOS group (P = 0.029). Then we performed post-hoc analysis using appropriate disease control and uncontrolled. There was a significant difference between CRSwNP/CC and CRSwNP NOS (P = 0.007), but no significant difference compared CCAD group to CRSwNP/CC group (P = 0.065) and CRSwNP NOS group (P = 0.199). There were significant differences in endoscopic E-score among groups (P < 0.001). In post-hoc analysis, we found that CRSwNP/CC (Median [IQR], 33.32 [42.14]) had a significantly worse E-score than CCAD (8.33 [16.67]) and CRSwNP NOS (4.17 [8.30]). Also, postoperative olfactory visual analog scale (VAS) scores significantly differed among groups (P = 0.043). However, post-hoc analysis showed no difference between any 2 groups. There were no differences in postoperative VAS scores of obstruction (P = 0.159), rhinorrhea (P = 0.398), and headache/facial pain (P = 0.092). Conclusion: Most CCAD patients had good surgical outcomes 1 year after surgery. Meanwhile, the CRSwNP/CC group had the fewest patients under appropriate disease control.

Unraveling the Molecular Mechanisms of Tomatoes' Defense against Botrytis cinerea: Insights from Transcriptome Analysis of Micro-Tom and Regular Tomato Varieties.

Botrytis cinerea is a devastating fungal pathogen that causes severe economic losses in global tomato cultivation. Understanding the molecular mechanisms driving tomatoes' response to this pathogen is crucial for developing effective strategies to counter it. Although the Micro-Tom (MT) cultivar has been used as a model, its stage-specific response to B. cinerea remains poorly understood. In this study, we examined the response of the MT and Ailsa Craig (AC) cultivars to B. cinerea at different time points (12-48 h post-infection (hpi)). Our results indicated that MT exhibited a stronger resistant phenotype at 18-24 hpi but became more susceptible to B. cinerea later (26-48 hpi) compared to AC. Transcriptome analysis revealed differential gene expression between MT at 24 hpi and AC at 22 hpi, with MT showing a greater number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Pathway and functional annotation analysis revealed significant differential gene expression in processes related to metabolism, biological regulation, detoxification, photosynthesis, and carbon metabolism, as well as some immune system-related genes. MT demonstrated an increased reliance on Ca2+ pathway-related proteins, such as CNGCs, CDPKs, and CaMCMLs, to resist B. cinerea invasion. B. cinerea infection induced the activation of PTI, ETI, and SA signaling pathways, involving the modulation of various genes such as FLS2, BAK1, CERK1, RPM, SGT1, and EDS1. Furthermore, transcription factors such as WRKY, MYB, NAC, and AUX/IAA families played crucial regulatory roles in tomatoes' defense against B. cinerea. These findings provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying tomatoes' defense against B. cinerea and offer potential strategies to enhance plant resistance.

Short-term postoperative efficacy of steroid-eluting stents for eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps: A randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (ECRSwNP) is a refractory clinical phenotype with a high symptom burden and relapse rate. Steroid-eluting stents are safe and effective for reducing polyp size, symptom burden, and the need for revision sinus surgery. In this study we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of steroid-eluting stent implantation on the surgical outcomes of patients with ECRSwNP. METHODS: This prospective, multicenter, randomized, intrapatient-controlled trial recruited patients 18 to 65 years of age with ECRSwNP who required surgery. Ninety-eight patients were enrolled and randomly implanted with absorbable steroid-eluting stents containing mometasone furoate in one sinus at the end of surgery. All patients received standard postoperative care and follow-up. The primary outcome was the Lund-Kennedy endoscopic score within 12 weeks postsurgery. Secondary outcomes included nasal symptoms scores, nasal resistance, acoustic rhinometry, nasal nitric oxide levels, 3-dimensional volumetric computed tomography scores, and eosinophil counts in the ethmoid mucosa. RESULTS: Ninety-five patients completed the trial. At postoperative weeks 4, 8, and 12, the Lund-Kennedy scores were significantly lower on the treatment side than on the control side (all p < 0.01). Compared with the treatment side, the control side exhibited higher tissue eosinophilia at week 4 and higher volumetric, nasal obstruction, and total nasal symptom scores at postoperative week 8 (p = 0.011, p = 0.011, p < 0.01, and p = 0.001, respectively). No adrenal cortical suppression or serious side effects were observed. CONCLUSION: Steroid-eluting stents reduce postoperative sinus mucosal edema, and eosinophilic inflammation, with persistent effects after stent disintegration, and are a good supplementary postsurgical treatment in patients with ECRSwNP.

Clinical characteristics of central compartment atopic disease in Southern China.

BACKGROUND: Central compartment atopic disease (CCAD) is a newly reported subset of chronic rhinosinusitis. It was considered associated with inhalant antigen. However, CCAD in Chinese population is not fully studied yet. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the clinical manifestations of CCAD and compared the following two subtypes: sinonasal polyps and concomitant polypoid disease in the central compartment (CRSwNP/CC) and CRSwNP not otherwise specified (CRSwNP NOS). Also, we compared the clinical manifestations of atopy CCAD and non-atopy CCAD. METHODS: We consecutively enrolled CRSwNP patients without prior sinus surgery, and assessed the nasal endoscopy and computed tomography of the paranasal sinuses. Allergy was confirmed by skin or serum testing. Eosinophilic CRSwNP (ECRS) was considered as tissue eosinophils to total inflammatory cells >10%. RESULTS: We enrolled a total of 116 patients, including 39 with CCAD, 38 with CRSwNP/CC and 39 with CRSwNP NOS. Atopy was detected in 37.1% of the CCAD group, an incidence showing no significant difference from those in the other two groups (37.1% in the CRSwNP/CC group, 31.0% in the CRSwNP NOS group; p = 0.846). However, the incidence of ECRS in the CCAD group was the highest among the different groups (97.4% in the CCAD group vs. 67.6% in the CRSwNP/CC group vs. 35.1% in the CRSwNP NOS group; p = 0.000). In addition, the incidence of asthma in the CCAD group (33.3%) was significantly higher than that in the CRSwNP NOS group (10.3%), but quite similar to CRSwNP/CC (34.2%). In the subgroup analysis of CCAD, only total serum IgE and sIgE demonstrated significant differences between atopy CCAD and non-atopy CCAD. CONCLUSION: CCAD in Southern China may associate with asthma and significant eosinophilia, with a lower incidence of systemic allergy based on skin and serum testing.

Temporal changes of smoking status and motivation in Chinese patients with hepatitis B: relationship with anxiety and depression.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The present study provided the first examination of cigarette smoking status and motivation before and after the diagnosis of hepatitis B in Chinese hepatitis B smokers. BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking is known to contribute to the severity of chronic liver diseases. However, the rates of cigarette smoking remain high in Chinese patients with hepatitis B. DESIGN: We used individual interviews and brief questionnaires to collect smoking status and motivation before and after the diagnosis of hepatitis B in hepatitis B smokers. We also evaluated the relationships between anxiety and depression and cigarette smoking in Chinese hepatitis B smokers. METHOD: Patients with hepatitis B (54 smokers and 127 non-smokers) were enrolled consecutively. A battery of self-report questionnaires was used to assess smoking status and motivation before and after the diagnosis of hepatitis B. All participants also were asked to complete the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. RESULTS: We found that the number of cigarettes per day after the diagnosis of hepatitis B was higher than that before the diagnosis of hepatitis B in hepatitis B smokers. A wide range of smoking motivation was found before and after the diagnosis of hepatitis B. 'Nicotine pleasure' was the primary motivation before the diagnosis of hepatitis B, whereas 'anxiety' and 'depression' were the primary motivation for the increase in cigarette consumption after the diagnosis of hepatitis B. Anxiety and depression were more frequently observed in hepatitis B smokers than in hepatitis B non-smokers. Anxiety and depression were associated with continued smoking after hepatitis B diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: The present study first demonstrated that cigarette smoking status and motivation were different before and after the diagnosis of hepatitis B. Anxiety and depression play an important role in temporal changes of smoking status and motivation. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: These findings highlight the need for individual anxiety and depression screening and assessment in conjunction with smoking cessation efforts in hepatitis B smokers.

Inflammation-mediated upregulation of centrosomal protein 110, a negative modulator of ciliogenesis, in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.

BACKGROUND: Sinonasal mucosa in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is often devoid of motile cilia. This defect is presumed to result from prolonged inflammation, infection, or both. However, the mechanism underlying this observation is unknown. Recently, centrosomal protein 110 (Cp110) was shown to prevent the terminal step in ciliary maturation (ie, elongation), suggesting that Cp110 might be involved in pathological states in which ciliation is abnormal. OBJECTIVES: First, we sought to investigate the expression of Cp110 in sinonasal mucosa from patients with CRS and control subjects. Second, we sought to determine the extent that inflammatory cytokines modulate Cp110 expression and ciliary maturation in vitro. METHODS: Sinonasal mucosal specimens from patients with and without CRS were analyzed for Cp110 mRNA and protein expression. Furthermore, human and murine nasal respiratory epithelial cultures were used to investigate Cp110 expression under normal growth conditions and in the presence of exogenous proinflammatory cytokines. RESULTS: Increased Cp110 mRNA and protein expression was found in sinonasal mucosal specimens from patients with CRS compared with that seen in control specimens. During ciliogenesis in vitro, the expression of Cp110 gradually decreased in cultures derived from patients without CRS but remained increased in cultures derived from patients with CRS. Furthermore, cultures grown in the presence of proinflammatory cytokines demonstrated increased levels of Cp110 expression with concomitant inhibition of ciliogenesis. CONCLUSION: Increased Cp110 expression in mucosa from patients with CRS might contribute to the poor ciliation observed in patients with CRS. Exogenous cytokine exposure maintains increased levels of Cp110 expression. Regulation of Cp110 expression by inflammation warrants additional investigation because it might offer a novel target in the management of respiratory tract diseases.

Age-Associated Changes of Nasal Bacterial Microbiome in Patients With Chronic Rhinosinusitis.

Age-related changes in nasal bacterial microbiota of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to identify distinct characteristics of nasal bacterial microbiota between aged and younger patients with CRS through 16S rDNA gene sequencing. Patients with CRS undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery were recruited and separated into aged (≥60 years, median age = 66 years, N = 17) and younger (<60 years, median age = 35.5 years, N = 14) patients. Diversity, bacterial composition and metabolic activities of nasal microbiota between aged and younger patients were compared. Results have shown that levels of OTUs (p = 0.0173) and microbiota diversity (all p < 0.05) decreased significantly in aged patients. The abundance of phylum Actinobacteria, and genus Corynebacterium were significantly higher in aged patients, while the abundance of phylum Bacteroidetes, Fusobacteria, and genus Fusobacterium, Peptoniphilus were significantly higher in younger patients. In addition, predicted functional profiles have revealed that 41 KEGG pathways involving in 12 metabolic pathways, 4 genetic information processing, 3 environmental information processing, 4 cellular processes, 8 organismal systems, 6 human diseases, and 4 unclassified pathways were identified. Among which, the vast majority of metabolic activities are involved in replication and repair, membrane transport, translation, and the metabolism of amino acid, carbohydrate, energy, cofactors and vitamins, and nucleotide. On the level of the thirdly bacterial metabolic pathways, purine metabolism, glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, valine, leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis are significantly up-regulated while carbon fixation pathways in prokaryotesand methane metabolism are significantly down-regulated in aged patients. Overall, our analysis revealed that age-related physiological and pathological changes on the nasal mucosal surface may alter the host immune response and be highly associated with the nasal bacterial microbiota of patients with CRS. However, future studies are needed to elucidate the causal relationship.

Risk Factors and Characteristics of the Recurrence of Juvenile Nasopharyngeal Angiofibroma: A 22-Year Experience With 123 Cases at a Tertiary Center.

OBJECTIVES: Despite the efficacy of surgical treatments, the high rate of recurrence in juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA) after surgery remains an unresolved problem. The present study comprehensively analyzed the risk factors and characteristics of JNA recurrence, providing clinical guidance for reducing recurrence. METHODS: A total of 123 patients who underwent surgery for JNA between 1997 and 2019 at a single hospital were analyzed retrospectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess the clinical risk factors for the recurrence of JNA. The relapse-free survival and annual cumulative recurrence rates were analyzed for subgroups defined according to clinical parameters. RESULTS: After screening, 78 of the 123 patients were included in the present study. The main risk factors associated with JNA recurrence included the year of diagnosis, tumor size, sphenoid bone invasion, Radkowski stage, surgical approach, and intraoperative bleeding. Importantly, the surgical approach and sphenoid bone invasion were independent prognostic factors affecting recurrence. Patients who underwent endoscopic surgery without sphenoid bone invasion exhibited longer relapse-free survival. In the present study, the overall cumulative recurrence rate of JNA was 38.7%, and recurrence occurred mainly in the first year after the initial surgery. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic surgery achieved better relapse-free survival in JNA patients, and patients with sphenoid bone invasion should be carefully explored to avoid residual JNA. The recurrence rate of JNA differed among subgroups defined based on clinical parameters and was highest in the first year after surgery. Computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, along with close follow-up, should be performed strictly within 1 year after the primary operation.