An Integrated Analysis Reveals Ciliary Abnormalities in Antrochoanal Polyps

Area of Science:

• Otorhinolaryngology
• Molecular Biology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Antrochoanal polyps (ACPs) are common sinonasal growths with unclear underlying mechanisms.
• Cilia play crucial roles in sinonasal homeostasis, and their dysfunction is implicated in various respiratory diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) profile in ACPs.
• To analyze the expression levels of cilia-related genes in ACPs.
• To examine the morphological characteristics of ciliated cells in ACPs.

Main Methods:

• Whole-transcriptome RNA sequencing of ACP biopsy samples and controls.
• Immunofluorescence staining, quantitative PCR, and scanning electron microscopy to assess ciliary structure and gene expression.
• Gene Ontology and gene set enrichment analyses to identify biological pathways involved in ACP pathogenesis.

Main Results:

• Identification of 3739 DEGs between ACPs and controls, with pathways related to cilium assembly, function, and inflammatory responses implicated.
• Validation of aberrant expression of key cilia-related genes (e.g., FOXJ1, DNAI1, DNAH9) in ACPs.
• Demonstration of ciliary structural abnormalities, including loss of ciliated cells and shorter cilia, in ACPs via microscopy.

Conclusions:

• Aberrant expression of cilia-related genes and structural impairment of cilia are significant pathological features of ACPs.
• These findings suggest a role for ciliary dysfunction in ACP development and provide potential targets for future therapeutic strategies.