Comparing Protein and Gene Expression Signature between Nasal Polyps and Nasal Fluids in Chronic Rhinosinusitis

Yilin Hou; Changhui Chen; Zhengqi Li; Tong Lu; Lin Sun; Yi Wei; Jian Li; Weiping Wen

doi:10.1159/000534226

Comparing Protein and Gene Expression Signature between Nasal Polyps and Nasal Fluids in Chronic Rhinosinusitis

Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2024;185(3):274-285. doi: 10.1159/000534226. Epub 2023 Nov 29.

Authors

Yilin Hou^{1

2}, Changhui Chen^{1

2}, Zhengqi Li^{1

2}, Tong Lu^{1

2}, Lin Sun^{1

2}, Yi Wei^{1

2}, Jian Li^{1

2}, Weiping Wen^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Otorhinolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
² Otorhinolaryngology Institute of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
³ Department of Otolaryngology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is a serious inflammatory condition. Nasal fluids (NFs) present a noninvasive alternative to nasal biopsy for studying CRSwNP pathogenesis. We aimed to compare the protein and mRNA inflammation signature between nasal polyps (NPs) and NFs.

Method: The performance of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) sponges and NFs absorbable device (NFAD) for collecting NFs from 20 patients with CRSwNP was compared using the Luminex assay. The other group consisted of four healthy controls and an additional 21 CRSwNP patients (including eosinophilic CRSwNP [ECRSwNP] and non-eosinophilic CRSwNP [NECRSwNP]) for protein quantification by Olink platform and gene expression evaluation by RNA-sequencing. Spearman's analysis was performed to detect correlations between protein expression levels in NFs and clinical assessment variables.

Results: NFAD-collected NFs contained at least a 2-fold higher concentration of cytokines than that obtained using PVA sponge, and these cytokines levels are significantly associated with NPs (ρ > 0.45, p < 0.05). Differentially expressed proteins between NFs and NPs were significantly correlated in the ECRSwNP subgroup compared with controls (ρ = 0.41, p < 0.01). Levels of Th2/IL-13, MCP4, and CCL4, characteristic of eosinophilic infiltration, were increased in ECRSwNP patients. A significant correlation between gene and protein expression was observed (ρ = 0.34, p < 0.01). PDL2 levels in NFs were positively correlated with ECRSwNP postoperative recurrence, the nasal VAS, and SNOT-22 scores (ρ > 0.68, p < 0.05 for all).

Conclusion: Our study revealed similarities and discrepancies in inflammatory signatures between NPs and NFs in the same CRSwNP patient.

Keywords: Chronic rhinosinusitis; Eosinophilic inflammation; Nasal fluids; Proteomics; RNA-sequencing.

MeSH terms

Chronic Disease
Cytokines / metabolism
Humans
Nasal Polyps* / genetics
Nasal Polyps* / metabolism
Rhinitis* / diagnosis
Rhinosinusitis*
Sinusitis* / diagnosis
Sinusitis* / genetics
Transcriptome

Substances

Cytokines

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) grants 82020108009 (W.P.W.), 81974141 (L.J.), 82171766 (W.Y.), Guangdong Natural Science Foundation of China grants 2023B1111040004 (W.P.W.), 2021A1515010273 (W.Y.), and Guangzhou Science and Technology Project of China grant 202102020498 (W.Y.).