Prevalence of Respiratory Viruses in Chronic Rhinosinusitis and Its Influence on the Mucosa

Abstract

Objectives: Find a correlation between the presence of respiratory viruses and the pathogenesis of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Methods: Prospective cross-sectional study. Genomes of respiratory viruses in patients were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in samples of nasal washes and nasal tissue samples obtained from both CRS with polyps (CRSwNP) and without nasal polyps (CRSsNP). Histological analysis was also performed to quantify eosinophils, neutrophils, and lymphocytes. Results: A total of 132 patients were evaluated, 31 controls, 31 patients with CRSsNP, and 70 patients with CRSwNP. Considering all samples together, human metapneumovirus (HMPV) and human rhinovirus (HRV) were the most frequently detected virus genomes found in CRS patients, present in respectively 19 of 70 and 16 of 70 of patients with CRSwNP, as opposed to 5 of 31 of HMPV and 4 of 31 of HRV in those with CRSsNP. In CRSsNP the virus presence was associated with a lower count of lymphocytes and neutrophils, but not to eosinophils count. In CRSwNP group, the virus presence was associated to a higher count of lymphocytes and neutrophils and to a lower count of eosinophils. Regarding rhinovirus presence, no cell count was associated with its presence in CRSwNP, and in CRSsNP the rhinovirus presence was associated only with a lower count of lymphocytes. Conclusions: The high detection of respiratory viruses in these patients highlights the need for further studies detailing possible roles that these ubiquitous respiratory agents may have in the pathogenesis of CRS.