Deep immune profiling of chronic rhinosinusitis in allergic and non-allergic cohorts using mass cytometry

Abstract

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a persistent nasal and paranasal sinus mucosa inflammation comprising two phenotypes, namely CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and without (CRSsNP). CRSwNP can be associated with asthma and hypersensitivity to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) in a syndrome known as NSAID-exacerbated respiratory disease (N-ERD). Furthermore, CRS frequently intertwines with respiratory allergies. This study investigated levels of 33 different nasal and serum cytokines and phenotypic characteristics of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) within cohorts of CRS patients (n = 24), additionally examining the influence of comorbid respiratory allergies by mass cytometry. N-ERD patients showed heightened type 2 nasal cytokine levels. Mass cytometry revealed increased activated naive B cell levels in CRSwNP and N-ERD, while resting naive B cells were higher in CRSsNP. Th2a cell levels were significantly elevated in allergic subjects, but not in CRS groups. In conclusion, there are distinct immunological features in PBMCs of CRS phenotypes and allergy.