Sleep quality burden in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps and its modulation by dupilumab

Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is associated with a substantial burden on patients' quality of life and impaired sleep quality. The most common CRSwNP endotype is characterized by type 2 inflammation, with enhanced production of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, and IL-13. Dupilumab is a monoclonal antibody against IL-4 receptor-α, which inhibits both IL-4 and IL-13 signaling, and was recently approved for treatment of CRSwNP.

We investigated the effect of dupilumab on the sleep quality of patients with CRSwNP in a real-life setting.

Patients were evaluated at baseline and after 1 and 3 months of dupilumab treatment by means of the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), insomnia severity index (ISI), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), and sinonasal outcome test 22 (SNOT-22) sleep domain.

A total of 29 consecutive patients were enrolled, and their baseline sleep quality assessment were as follows: ESS of 7.9 (± 4.5); ISI of 13.1 (± 6.2); PSQI of 9.2 (± 3.7); and SNOT-22 sleep domain of 12.1 (± 4.2). Excessive daily sleepiness, insomnia, and globally impaired sleep quality were present in 24.1%, 79.3%, and 93.1% respectively. Treatment with dupilumab was associated with significant improvement in ESS, ISI, PSQI, and SNOT-22 sleep domain with concomitant reduction of the proportion of patients with insomnia and globally impaired sleep quality.

CRSwNP was associated with a significant impact on global sleep quality, in particular, insomnia, and treatment with dupilumab induced a rapid improvement (after 1 single month of treatment) in all the sleep quality parameters, suggesting that sleep disturbances should be more carefully evaluated as an additional outcome in these patients.