Characterisation of Nasal Polyps in Patients With and Without Aspirin-exacerbated Respiratory Disease

Prevalence of aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) is 16% amongst patients suffering from chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). The mechanisms underlying the observed dysregulation of pro and anti-inflammatory pathways in AERD are still not fully understood. To address this and also to identify potential factors characterizing the disease the investigators plan to prospectively collect blood samples, nasal secretions as well as nasal biopsies from allergic, non-allergic and AERD patients suffering from CRSwNP. Initially, polyps of aforementioned patients will be subjected to RNA sequencing analysis using microarray technology. Once distinct factors are identified in nasal polyp tissue, their presence will be assessed in nasal secretions and serum of the respective patients to investigate their potential role as biomarkers. Furthermore presence of these parameters will be confirmed in situ in biopsies by confocal microscopy. Knowledge about factors differently upregulated in polyp tissue from AERD may contribute to a better understanding of the underlying mechanism of the disease.