Choanephora infundibulifera Rhinosinusitis in Man with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Tennessee, USA.

Choanephora infundibulifera is a member of the Mucorales order of fungi. The species is associated with plants as a saprophyte or parasite and may be responsible for spoilage or disease but is an uncommon cause of human infection. We describe C. infundibulifera rhinosinusitis in a young man with leukemia in Tennessee, USA.

Bacterial and fungal communities in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

OBJECTIVE: Multiple inflammatory mechanisms dynamically interact in the development of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). Disruption of the relationship between host and environmental factors on the mucosal surface leads to the development of inflammation. Microorganisms constitute the most important part of environmental factors. METHODS: 28 volunteers (18 CRSwNP patients and 10 healthy individuals) were included in the study. Eight patients were recurrent nasal polyposis cases, and the remaining were primary cases. Swab samples were taken from the middle meatus under endoscopic examination from all participants. After DNA extraction, a library was created with the Swift Amplicon 16S + ITS kit and sequenced with Illumina Miseq. Sequence analysis was performed using QIIME, UNITE v8.2 database for ITS and Silva v138 for 16S rRNA. RESULTS: The predominant bacteria in all groups were Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria as phyla and Staphylococcus, Corynebacterium, Sphingomonas as genera. Comparison of bacterial communities of CRSwNP patients and control group highlighted Corynebacterium, as the differentiating taxa for control group and Streptococcus, Moraxella, Rothia, Micrococcus, Gemella, and Prevotella for CRSwNP patients. The predominant fungal genus in all groups was Malassezia. Staphylococcus; showed a statistically significant negative correlation with Dolosigranulum. Corynebacterium had a positive correlation with Anaerococcus, and a negative correlation with Neisseria, Prevotella, Fusobacterium and Peptostreptococcus. CONCLUSION: Nasal microbiome of CRSwNP patients shows greater inter-individual variation than the control group. Corynebacterium is less abundant in patients with CRSwNP compared to the control group. Malassezia is the predominant fungus in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses and correlates positively with the abundance of Corynebacterium.

[The preliminary application of mNGS in the diagnosis of invasive fungal sinusitis].

Objective: By conducting a retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 14 patients diagnosed with invasive fungal rhinosinusitis (IFRS) confirmed by metagenomics next generation sequencing (mNGS) technology, we aim to explore the rapid diagnosis value of mNGS in IFRS. Methods: The clinical data of 14 IFRS patients admitted to TianJin First Central Hospital were retrospectively analyzed from February 2021 to October 2023. The study cohort comprised 8 males and 6 females, with ages ranging from 14 to 77 years. All patients were diagnosed as IFRS by performing mNGS sequencing technology of nasal sinus lesion biopsy specimens. Clinical data such as laboratory examination, imaging examination, histopathological examination results, treatment plan and prognosis were summarized and analyzed. Results: All 14 patients were diagnosed as IFRS, with mNGS detecting pathogens such as Rhizopus (7 cases), Aspergillus (5 cases), Trichoderma (1 case), and Scedosporium apiospermum (1 case). Follow-up evaluations were conducted for a period ranging from 2 months to 2 years post-treatment. At the end of follow-up, 11 out of 14 IFRS patients achieved a complete cure with no signs of recurrence, while the symptoms of the remaining 3 patients significantly improved with comprehensive treatment. Conclusion: mNGS emerges as a highly effective diagnostic tool for IFRS, providing valuable microbiological evidence for clinical diagnosis and demonstrating promising clinical utility.

S. aureus biofilm properties correlate with immune B cell subset frequencies and severity of chronic rhinosinusitis.

Staphylococcus aureus mucosal biofilms are associated with recalcitrant chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). However, S. aureus colonisation of sinus mucosa is frequent in the absence of mucosal inflammation. This questions the relevance of S. aureus biofilms in CRS etiopathogenesis. This study aimed to investigate whether strain-level variation in in vitro-grown S. aureus biofilm properties relates to CRS disease severity, in vitro toxicity, and immune B cell responses in sinonasal tissue from CRS patients and non-CRS controls. S. aureus clinical isolates, tissue samples, and matched clinical datasets were collected from CRS patients with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), CRS without nasal polyps (CRSsNP), and controls. B cell responses in tissue samples were characterised by FACS. S. aureus biofilms were established in vitro, followed by measuring their properties of metabolic activity, biomass, colony-forming units, and exoprotein production. S. aureus virulence was evaluated using whole-genome sequencing, mass spectrometry and application of S. aureus biofilm exoproteins to air-liquid interface cultures of primary human nasal epithelial cells (HNEC-ALI). In vitro S. aureus biofilm properties were correlated with increased CRS severity scores, infiltration of antibody-secreting cells and loss of regulatory B cells in tissue samples. Biofilm exoproteins from S. aureus with high biofilm metabolic activity had enriched virulence genes and proteins, and negatively affected the barrier function of HNEC-ALI cultures. These findings support the notion of strain-level variation in S. aureus biofilms to be critical in the pathophysiology of CRS.

[Advances in next-generation sequencing technology to analyze the microbiome of patients with chronic sinusitis].

Chronic rhinosinusitis （CRS） is a chronic inflammatory disease of the sinus mucosa, and the pathogenesis of CRS has not been fully elucidated, and the impact of dysbiosis of the microbiome in the nasal cavity and even in the gut on the pathogenesis of CRS remains controversial. Next-generation sequencing technology, a culture-independent high-throughput sequencing method, contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the CRS microbiome. This article reviews the progress of research on the relevance of bacteria and other microorganisms to CRS and the microbial characteristics of the sinus and intestinal tract of patients with CRS, introduces next-generation sequencing technologies for the study of the CRS microbiome, and discusses the therapeutic prospects of CRS and the possibility of probiotic therapy.

Reduced Proliferative Capacity and Defense against Staphylococcus aureus in Human Nasal Mucosal Epithelium Lacking ZNF365.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is a common chronic inflammatory disease of the nose characterized by barrier disruption and environmental susceptibility, and the deletion of ZNF365 may be a factor inducing these manifestations. However, there is no study on the mechanism of action between CRSwNP and ZNF365. Therefore, this study focuses on the effect of the zinc finger protein ZNF365 on the proliferation of nasal mucosal epithelial cells and their defense against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). METHODS: Immunohistochemistry and Western blot were applied to verify the changes of ZNF365 expression in nasal polyp tissues and control tissues, as well as in primary epithelial cells. ZNF365 was knocked down in human nasal mucosa epithelial cell line (HNEpc), and the proliferation, migration, and transdifferentiation of epithelium were observed by immunofluorescence, QPCR, CCK8, and cell scratch assay. The changes of mesenchymal markers and TLR4-MAPK-NF-κB pathway were also observed after the addition of S. aureus. RESULTS: ZNF365 expression was reduced in NP tissues and primary nasal mucosal epithelial cells compared to controls. Knockdown of ZNF365 in HNEpc resulted in decreased proliferation and migration ability of epithelial cells and abnormal epithelial differentiation (decreased expression of tight junction proteins). S. aureus stimulation further inhibited epithelial cell proliferation and migration, while elevated markers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and inflammatory responses occurred. CONCLUSION: ZNF365 is instrumental in maintaining the proliferative capacity of nasal mucosal epithelial cells and defending against the invasion of S. aureus. The findings suggest that ZNF365 may participate in the development of CRSwNP.

Reduced Glycolysis and Cytotoxicity in Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Chronic Rhinosinusitis as Strategies for Host Adaptation.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a multifactorial infection of the nasal cavity and sinuses. In this study, nasal swabs from control donors (N = 128) and patients with CRS (N = 246) were analysed. Culture methods and metagenomics revealed no obvious differences in the composition of the bacterial communities between the two groups. However, at the functional level, several metabolic pathways were significantly enriched in the CRS group compared to the control group. Pathways such as carbohydrate transport metabolism, ATP synthesis, cofactors and vitamins, photosynthesis and transcription were highly enriched in CRS. In contrast, pathways related to lipid metabolism were more representative in the control microbiome. As S. aureus is one of the main species found in the nasal cavity, staphylococcal isolates from control and CRS samples were analysed by microarray and functional assays. Although no significant genetic differences were detected by microarray, S. aureus from CRS induced less cytotoxicity to lung cells and lower rates of glycolysis in host cells than control isolates. These results suggest the differential modulation of staphylococcal virulence by the environment created by other microorganisms and their interactions with host cells in control and CRS samples. These changes were reflected in the differential expression of cytokines and in the expression of Agr, the most important quorum-sensing regulator of virulence in S. aureus. In addition, the CRS isolates remained stable in their cytotoxicity, whereas the cytotoxic activity of S. aureus isolated from control subjects decreased over time during in vitro passage. These results suggest that host factors influence the virulence of S. aureus and promote its adaptation to the nasal environment during CRS.

Gut microbiota and chronic rhinosinusitis: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: The nasal cavity and gut are interconnected, both housing a rich natural microbiome. Gut microbiota may interact with nasal microbiota and contribute to the development of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). However, the specific role of gut microbiota in CRS has not been fully investigated. Therefore, we conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization study to reveal the potential genetic causal effect of gut microbiota on CRS. METHODS: We performed a two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis using aggregated data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on gut microbiota and CRS. The primary method used to assess the causal relationship between gut microbiota and CRS was the inverse variance weighting (IVW) method. In addition, sensitivity analyses were conducted to evaluate the robustness of the MR results, including heterogeneity, pleiotropy, and leave-one-out tests. RESULTS: Genetically predicted twelve gut microbiota, including class Coriobacteriia, class Methanobacteria, family Coriobacteriaceae, family Methanobacteriaceae, family Pasteurellaceae, genus Haemophilus, genus Ruminococcus torques group, genus Subdoligranulum, order Coriobacteriales, order Methanobacteriales, order Pasteurellales, and phylum Proteobacteria, demonstrated a potential inhibitory effect on CRS risk (P < 0.05). In addition, four gut microbiota, including family Streptococcaceae, genus Clostridium innocuum group, genus Oscillospira, and genus Ruminococcaceae NK4A214 group, exhibited a causal role in increasing CRS risk (P < 0.05). Sensitivity analyses showed no evidence of heterogeneity or pleiotropy (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals the causal relationship between specific gut microbiota and CRS, which provides a new direction and theoretical foundation for the future development of interventions and prevention and treatment strategies for CRS.

Diagnostic benefits of platelet-to-lymphocyte, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte, and albumin-to-globulin ratios in dogs with nasal cavity diseases.

BACKGROUND: A multimodal approach for diagnostic tests under anesthesia is required to diagnose nasal cavity pathology (NP) reliably in dogs. Blood test results may provide clues to the suspected NP. METHODS: This prospective blinded study assessed 72 dogs with chronic nasal discharge due to NPs, and 10 healthy dogs as the control group (CG). NPs were diagnosed using whole-body computed tomography (CT), upper airway endoscopy, examination of nasal mucosal swabs by bacterial and fungal culture, and histopathological examination of nasal mucosa biopsies. The exclusion criteria were the presence of any additional diseases or corticosteroid pre-treatment. In consideration of these exclusion criteria, 55 dogs entered the study. Dogs were classified into benign (benign tumors, idiopathic rhinitis (IR), and others) and malignant (carcinomas and sarcomas) NP groups. Blood count and blood chemistry tests were performed. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR) were calculated and compared. RESULTS: 25 dogs with malignant NP (13 and 12 with carcinomas and sarcomas, respectively) and 30 dogs with benign NP (seven with benign tumors,13 with IR, and 10 others) were included. In general, in dogs with NP there were only slight abnormalities in complete blood count. However, PLR was significantly higher in dogs with malignant NP (carcinoma and sarcoma) than in those with benign NP and in the CG. Compared with the CG, the NLR was significantly increased in all dogs with NP, and the AGR was mild but significantly lower, except in dogs with sarcomas and benign tumors. CONCLUSIONS: In dogs with nasal disease alone, there are usually no marked abnormalities in blood count. However, while mildly increased NLR and decreased AGR can be observed in almost all NPs, an increased PLR may indicate a malignant NP and can be used as an additional screening tool in dogs with nasal discharge due to nasal cavity pathology.

Nasal lavage microbiome, but not nasal swab microbiome, correlates with sinonasal inflammation in children with cystic fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is characterized by highly viscous mucus obstructing the lower and upper airways, chronic neutrophil inflammation and infection resulting not only in lung destruction but also in paranasal sinus involvement. The pathogenesis of CF-associated chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is still not well understood, and it remains unclear how the microbiome in the upper airways (UAW) influences paranasal sinus inflammation. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study in pediatric patients with CF under stable disease conditions, we examined the microbiome in relation to inflammation by comparing nasal swabs (NS) and nasal lavage (NL) as two UAW sampling methods. The microbiota structure of both NS and NL was determined by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. In addition, pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α) and proteases (SLPI, TIMP-1, NE/A1-AT complex) as well as neutrophil elastase activity were measured in NL. RESULTS: Simultaneous NS and NL samples were collected from 36 patients with CF (age range: 7 - 19 years). The microbiome of NS samples was shown to be significantly lower in α-diversity and evenness compared to NL samples. NS samples were particularly found to be colonized with Staphylococcus species. NL microbiome was shown to correlate much better with the sinonasal inflammation status than NS microbiome. Especially the detection of Moraxella in NL was associated with increased inflammatory response. CONCLUSION: Our results show that the NL microbiome reflects sinonasal inflammation better than NS and support NL as a promising tool for simultaneous assessment of the UAW microbiome and inflammation in children with CF.

Sinonasal microbiome and inflammatory profiles in fungal ball and chronic rhinosinusitis.

OBJECTIVE: Fungal balls (FB) are the main form of non-invasive fungal rhinosinusitis found in immunocompetent hosts. Bacterial coinfection affects clinical symptoms. We investigated the sinonasal microbiome and inflammatory profiles in FB and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients. METHODS: Thirty-three participants were prospectively recruited. Nasal swab samples and sinonasal tissues were collected from controls, and FB and CRS patients. DNA extraction and microbiome analysis using V3-V4 region 16S rRNA sequencing were performed. Inflammatory cytokine levels in the sinonasal tissues, blood eosinophil counts, and serum total IgE were measured. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed in species richness or evenness measures. The phylogenetic tree demonstrated that the FB samples were different from the controls. The sinus bacteria composition differed among the groups. At the phylum level, Firmicutes in FB were significantly depleted compared with those in CRS, while Proteobacteria were more enriched in FB than that in controls and CRS. At the genus level, in FB, Staphylococcus and Corynebacterium were significantly decreased compared to those in the controls. The prevalence of Haemophilus was the highest in FB. Blood eosinophil counts and IL-5 and periostin levels in the sinonasal tissue of the FB group were significantly lower than those in the CRS group. CONCLUSIONS: FB patients had different microbiome compositions and fewer type 2 inflammatory profiles than CRS patients did. However, whether these findings cause FB or result from bacterial and/or fungal infection remains unclear. Further studies are needed to reveal how these differences occur and affect the development of FB and clinical symptoms.

Clinical features of chronic fungal rhinosinusitis in Korean geriatric and non-geriatric patients.

PURPOSE: Worldwide, the incidence of chronic fungal rhinosinusitis (CFRS) has increased. Although ageing leads to weakening of the immune system, which increases susceptibility to CFRS, the CFRS characteristics in geriatric patients are unclear. Therefore, we comparatively analysed the clinical characteristics of CFRS in geriatric and non-geriatric patients. METHODS: This retrospective analysis compared the demographics, rhinologic symptoms, multiple allergen simultaneous tests, olfactory function tests, paranasal sinus computed tomography findings, and outcomes of 131 patients with CFRS who underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery and 131 enrolled patients were divided in geriatric (> 65 years) and non-geriatric (≤ 65 years) groups. RESULTS: Among the geriatric and non-geriatric participants (n = 65, 49.6% and n = 66, 50.4%, respectively), hypertension and diabetes mellitus were more common in the geriatric group. Demographics, including symptoms, showed no significant intergroup differences. Normosmia and hyposmia were significantly less prevalent, whereas phantosmia and parosmia were more prevalent in the geriatric group than in the non-geriatric group (p = 0.03 and p = 0.01, respectively). Sphenoidal sinus involvement was significantly higher in geriatric patients than in non-geriatric patients (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Based on greater sphenoidal sinus involvement, a deeper anatomical area is more vulnerable to fungal infection in the geriatric group than in the non-geriatric group. Increasing clinicians' awareness of CFRS in geriatric patients with olfactory dysfunction, including phantosmia and parosmia, is important for early intervention.

Association between Social Determinants of Health and Allergic Fungal Rhinosinusitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Some previous studies have shown an increased prevalence of allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS) among young, black patients with poor access to health care; however, results have been mixed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between social determinants of health and AFRS. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL. REVIEW METHODS: A systematic review was performed searching for articles published from date of inception to September 29, 2022. English language articles describing the relationship   between social determinants of health (i.e., race, insurance status) and AFRS as compared to chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) were selected for inclusion. A Meta-analysis of proportions with comparison (Δ) of weighted proportions was conducted. RESULTS: A total of 21 articles with 1605 patients were selected for inclusion. The proportion of   black patients among AFRS, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), and chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps (CRSsNP) groups was 58.0% [45.3%-70.1%], 23.8% [14.1%-35.2%], and 13.0% [5.1%-24.0%], respectively. This was significantly higher among the AFRS population compared to both the CRSwNP population (Δ34.2% [28.4%-39.6%], p < .0001) and the CRSsNP population (Δ44.9% [38.4%-50.6%], p < .0001). The proportion of patients who were either uninsured or covered by Medicaid among the AFRS, CRSwNP, and CRSsNP populations was 31.5% [25.4%-38.1%], 8.6% [0.7%-23.8%], and 5.0% [0.3%-14.8%], respectively. This was significantly higher among the AFRS group than the CRSwNP group (Δ22.9% [15.3%-31.1%], p < .0001) and the CRSsNP group (Δ26.5% [19.1%-33.4%], p < .0001). CONCLUSION: This study confirms that AFRS patients are more likely to be Black and either uninsured or on subsidized insurance than their CRS counterparts.

Microbial characterization of the nasal cavity in patients with allergic rhinitis and non-allergic rhinitis.

Introduction: Although recent studies have shown that the human microbiome is involved in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases, the impact of microbiota on allergic rhinitis (AR) and non-allergic rhinitis (nAR) has not been elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in the composition of the nasal flora in patients with AR and nAR and their role in the pathogenesis. Method: From February to September 2022, 35 AR patients and 35 nAR patients admitted to Harbin Medical University's Second Affiliated Hospital, as well as 20 healthy subjects who underwent physical examination during the same period, were subjected to 16SrDNA and metagenomic sequencing of nasal flora. Results: The microbiota composition of the three groups of study subjects differs significantly. The relative abundance of Vibrio vulnificus and Acinetobacter baumanni in the nasal cavity of AR patients was significantly higher when compared to nAR patients, while the relative abundance of Lactobacillus murinus, Lactobacillus iners, Proteobacteria, Pseudomonadales, and Escherichia coli was lower. In addition, Lactobacillus murinus and Lacttobacillus kunkeei were also negatively correlated with IgE, while Lacttobacillus kunkeei was positively correlated with age. The relative distribution of Faecalibacterium was higher in moderate than in severe AR patients. According to KEGG functional enrichment annotation, ICMT(protein-S-isoprenylcysteine O-methyltransferase,ICMT) is an AR microbiota-specific enzyme that plays a role, while glycan biosynthesis and metabolism are more active in AR microbiota. For AR, the model containing Parabacteroides goldstemii, Sutterella-SP-6FBBBBH3, Pseudoalteromonas luteoviolacea, Lachnospiraceae bacterium-615, and Bacteroides coprocola had the highest the area under the curve (AUC), which was 0.9733(95%CI:0.926-1.000) in the constructed random forest prediction model. The largest AUC for nAR is 0.984(95%CI:0.949-1.000) for the model containing Pseudomonas-SP-LTJR-52, Lachnospiraceae bacterium-615, Prevotella corporis, Anaerococcus vaginalis, and Roseburia inulinivorans. Conclusion: In conclusion, patients with AR and nAR had significantly different microbiota profiles compared to healthy controls. The results suggest that the nasal microbiota may play a key role in the pathogenesis and symptoms of AR and nAR, providing us with new ideas for the treatment of AR and nAR.

Is low dose of liposomal amphotericin B effective in management of acute invasive fungal rhinosinusitis? Our conclusions from Al-Mowassat University Hospital, Syria: a prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Acute invasive fungal rhinosinusitis (AIFRS) is a fatal infection associated with high morbidity and mortality. Although it is a rare disease, upsurge of AIFRS was noticed during the second wave of COVID-19 disease. Early diagnosis and management is the cornerstone for good outcomes. However, management of AIFRS is challengeable especially in developing countries due to limited resources and high prices of antifungal agents. No previous studies have been conducted to evaluate the outcomes of management of AIFRS in Syria. The purpose of this study is to report the results of management of AIFRS with low doses of liposomal amphotericin B in our tertiary hospital in Syria. METHODS: The outcomes of management of AIFRS cases were followed through a prospective observational study between January 2021 and July 2022. The required medical data were collected for each individual. Three-month mortality rate was studied. SPSS v.26 was used to perform the statistical analysis. Pearson Chi-square test was used to study the associations between different variables and mortality. Survival curves were plotted by the Kaplan-Meier to compare the survival probability. Log Rank (Mantel-Cox) test and Cox regression were conducted to evaluate the factors affecting survival within the follow up period. RESULTS: Of 70 cases, 36 (51.4%) were males and 34 (48.6%) were females. The mean age of patients was 52.5 years old. The most common underlying risk factor was diabetes mellitus (84.3%). The used dose of liposomal amphotericin B ranged between 2-3 mg/kg per day. The overall 3-month mortality rate was 35.7%. Significant association was found between survival and the following variables: Age, orbital involvement, stage, and comorbidity. CONCLUSION: The overall mortality rate was close to other studies. However, survival rate was worse than comparable studies in selected cases of AIFRS (older ages, involved orbits, advanced stages, and chronic immunodeficiency). Therefore, low doses of liposomal amphotericin B could be less effective in such cases and high doses are recommended.

Assessment of the nasal microbiota in dogs with fungal rhinitis before and after cure and in dogs with chronic idiopathic rhinitis.

BACKGROUND: Pathogenesis of canine fungal rhinitis is still not fully understood. Treatment remains challenging, after cure turbinate destruction may be associated with persistent clinical signs and recurrence of fungal rhinitis can occur. Alterations of the nasal microbiota have been demonstrated in dogs with chronic idiopathic rhinitis and nasal neoplasia, although whether they play a role in the pathogenesis or are a consequence of the disease is still unknown. The objectives of the present study were (1) to describe nasal microbiota alterations associated with fungal rhinitis in dogs, compared with chronic idiopathic rhinitis and controls, (2) to characterize the nasal microbiota modifications associated with successful treatment of fungal rhinitis. Forty dogs diagnosed with fungal rhinitis, 14 dogs with chronic idiopathic rhinitis and 29 healthy control dogs were included. Nine of the fungal rhinitis dogs were resampled after successful treatment with enilconazole infusion. RESULTS: Only disease status contributed significantly to the variability of the microbiota. The relative abundance of the genus Moraxella was decreased in the fungal rhinitis (5.4 ± 18%) and chronic idiopathic rhinitis (4.6 ± 8.7%) groups compared to controls (51.8 ± 39.7%). Fungal rhinitis and chronic idiopathic rhinitis groups also showed an increased richness and α-diversity at species level compared with controls. Increase in unique families were associated with fungal rhinitis (Staphyloccaceae, Porphyromonadaceae, Enterobacteriaceae and Neisseriaceae) and chronic idiopathic rhinitis (Pasteurellaceae and Lactobacillaceae). In dogs with fungal rhinitis at cure, only 1 dog recovered a high relative abundance of Moraxellaceae. CONCLUSIONS: Results confirm major alterations of the nasal microbiota in dogs affected with fungal rhinitis and chronic idiopathic rhinitis, consisting mainly in a decrease of Moraxella. Besides, a specific dysbiotic profile further differentiated fungal rhinitis from chronic idiopathic rhinitis. In dogs with fungal rhinitis, whether the NM returns to its pre-infection state or progresses toward chronic idiopathic rhinitis or fungal rhinitis recurrence warrants further investigation.

Histopathologic Features of Chronic Rhinosinusitis in Diabetic Patients.

OBJECTIVE: To explore how diabetes mellitus impacts chronic rhinosinusitis clinically and on structured histopathology to provide insights on new potential chronic rhinosinusitis endotypes. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Tertiary academic center. METHODS: A retrospective study of chronic rhinosinusitis patients who underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery from 2015 to 2020 was performed. Structured 13-variable histopathology reports were generated from intraoperative sinonasal specimens. These variables were compared against demographic factors, comorbidities, culture data, and preoperative Lund-Mackay and SNOT-22 scores using logistic regression. RESULTS: There were 411 patients, including 52 diabetics. Diabetes was associated with higher mean body mass index (34.9 vs 29.2; p < .001), age (57.8 vs 48.0; p < .001), and Gram-negative (40.2% vs 22.7%; p < .030) and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (49.0% vs 28.5%; p = .008) culture rates. Black (23.1% vs 18.7%) and Hispanic (23.1% vs 8.6%) races were more common with diabetes (p = .026). Gender, smoking, polyp status, and Lund-Mackay and SNOT-22 scores did not differ between groups. Diabetics had more fungal elements (13.5% vs 3.3%, p = .018); no other histopathological differences were seen. When controlling for demographic variables and comorbidities, diabetes independently predicted the presence of fungal elements (HR 4.38, p = .018). CONCLUSION: Diabetic chronic rhinosinusitis patients demonstrated increased fungal elements on structured histopathology. Other histopathological features were unaffected by diabetes. These findings may have important implications on the medical and surgical management of diabetic chronic rhinosinusitis patients in which early fungal disease assessment is paramount.

Bacterial colonization differences between central compartment atopic disease and eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis.

KEY POINTS: Culturable bacterial colonization is similar between type 2 CRS phenotypes Staphylococcus aureus coinfection is similar between eosinophilic CRS and CCAD Patients with CCAD were younger, consistent with current knowledge of the disease.

Patient Perspectives on the Drivers and Deterrents of Antibiotic Treatment of Acute Rhinosinusitis: a Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Antibiotics are prescribed in >80% of outpatient acute rhinosinusitis (ARS) visits, despite the low incidence of bacterial infection. Previous studies have shown patient expectations are the most robust predictor of antibiotics prescription in ARS. However, patient perceptions are not well known or understood. OBJECTIVE: To understand patient perceptions regarding what drives or deters them from wanting, seeking, and taking antibiotic treatment of ARS. DESIGN: Iterative thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews. PARTICIPANTS: Nineteen adults diagnosed with ARS within the prior 60 days at the Northwestern Medicine General Internal Medicine clinic in Chicago, IL. MAIN MEASURES: Perceptions of patients with ARS. KEY RESULTS: We interviewed 19 patients, identifying the following drivers of antibiotic use: (1) symptoms, especially discolored rhinorrhea, and seeking relief, (2) belief that antibiotics are a convenient and/or effective way to relieve/cure sinusitis, and (3) desire for tangible outcomes of a clinic visit. For deterrents, the following themes emerged: (1) concern about antibiotic resistance, (2) preference for other treatments or preference to avoid medications, and (3) desire to avoid a healthcare visit. Patients identified that a trustworthy physician's recommendation for antibiotics was a driver, and a recommendation against antibiotics was a deterrent to taking antibiotics; a delayed antibiotic prescription also served as a deterrent. Antibiotic side effects were viewed neutrally by most participants, though they were a deterrent to some. CONCLUSIONS: Patients have misconceptions about the indications and effectiveness of antibiotics for ARS. Intimate knowledge of key antibiotic drivers and deterrents, from the perspective of patients with ARS, can be leveraged to engage and increase patients' knowledge, and set appropriate expectations for antibiotics for ARS.

Do variations in nasal irrigation recipes and storage effect the risk of bacterial contamination?

OBJECTIVE: Make-at-home nasal irrigation solutions are often recommended for treating chronic rhinosinusitis. Many patients will store pre-made solution for convenient use. This study investigated the microbiological properties of differing recipes and storage temperatures. METHOD: Three irrigation recipes (containing sodium chloride, sodium bicarbonate and sucrose) were stored at 5oC and 22oC. Further samples were inoculated with Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Sampling and culturing were conducted at intervals from day 0-12 to examine for bacterial presence or persistence. RESULTS: No significant bacterial growth was detected in any control solution stored at 5oC. Saline solutions remained relatively bacterial free, with poor survival of inoculated bacteria, which may be related to either lower pH or lower osmolality. Storing at room temperature increased the risk of contamination in control samples, particularly from pseudomonas. CONCLUSION: If refrigerated, pre-made nasal irrigation solutions can be stored safely for up to 12 days without risking cross-contamination to irrigation equipment or patients.