Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026
Microbiological Rapid On-Site Evaluation for Pulmonary Infectious Diseases
Published on: March 1, 2024
Improving patient care via development of a protein-based diagnostic test for microbe-specific detection of chronic
Subinoy Das1, Lucia E Rosas, Joseph A Jurcisek
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A; Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A.
Objectives/Hypothesis:
The hypothesis is that signature bacterial proteins can be identified in sinus secretions via high-throughput, proteomic based techniques. Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHI) is the most common bacterial pathogen associated with sinusitis and serves as proof of principle pathogen for identifying biomarkers.
Study Design:
In vitro and in vivo studies using proteomic-based analysis of cultures of NTHI and a novel, experimental chinchilla polymicrobial sinusitis model.
Methods:
Nano-liquid chromatography /tandem mass spectrometry (nano-LC-MS/MS) was performed to annotate the secretome from an NTHI biofilm. A model of NTHI-induced sinusitis was developed in a chinchilla, and NTHI proteins were detected in chinchilla secretions. A reference standard RT-PCR-based assay was adapted to allow for sensitivity and specificity testing of the identified signature biomarkers in human patients.
Results:
Outer membrane proteins P2 (OMP-P2) and P5 (OMP-P5) were identified as promising candidates for the detection of NTHI biofilms and positively detected in nasopharyngeal secretions of chinchillas experimentally infected with NTHI. An RT-PCR based test for the presence of NTHI biofilms demonstrated 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity when tested against eight unique strains commonly found in human bacterial rhinosinusitis.
Conclusions:
Proteomic analysis was successful in identifying signature proteins for possible use as a biomarker for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). OMP-P2 and OMP-P5 were validated as promising candidates and were positively detected from nasopharyngeal secretions from chinchillas experimentally infected with NTHI. Collectively, these data support the use of OMP-P2 and OMP-P5 as biomarkers for a human clinical trial to develop a point-of-care medical diagnostic test to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of CRS.
