Relationship between histologic changes and inflammatory markers in chronic rhinosinusitis.

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Pathology
• Immunology

Background:

• Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a complex inflammatory condition affecting the upper airway.
• Histologic examination reveals key changes like stromal edema, fibrosis, and basement membrane thickening.
• Understanding the link between tissue pathology and systemic inflammation is crucial for CRS management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between specific histologic findings and various inflammatory markers in CRS patients.
• To compare inflammatory markers in both tissue samples and peripheral blood relative to histologic changes.
• To determine the utility of serum inflammatory markers in predicting histologic alterations in CRS.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of tissue samples and peripheral blood from 92 CRS patients undergoing pathologic examination.
• Evaluation of histologic features: stromal edema, stromal fibrosis, and basement membrane thickening.
• Quantification of inflammatory markers: eosinophil and neutrophil counts, eosinophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (ELR), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR).

Main Results:

• Stromal edema (84.8%) and basement membrane thickening (53.3%) were prevalent histologic findings.
• These changes were more frequent in CRS with nasal polyps.
• Tissue inflammatory markers, particularly eosinophil counts and ELR, significantly correlated with the number of histologic changes observed.
• Peripheral blood eosinophil counts showed a limited association with basement membrane thickening.

Conclusions:

• Tissue-based inflammatory markers are associated with specific histologic alterations in chronic rhinosinusitis.
• Serum inflammatory markers demonstrate limited value in predicting the extent of histologic changes in CRS.
• Further research may refine the use of tissue inflammatory markers for personalized CRS treatment strategies.