Olfactory Dysfunction of Rhinosinusitis

The purpose of this research is to improve understanding of the molecular and functional properties of the human olfactory system. The specific aims are: * to determine the location of AC3 and Golf proteins in the human olfactory epithelium from freshly harvested nasal/sinus tissue of surgical patients * to perform objective functional studies on fresh human nasal/sinus tissue using an electro-olfactogram (EOG) whic measures the electrical activity of olfactory sensory neurons in fresh biopsied tissue in response to odor or pheromone stimulation. An organotypic culture system for human tissue has been established to optimize the electrical signal acquisition. * to correlate the AC3 and Golf expression profiles with pre-operative testing of human olfactory function * to correlate the EOG findings with pre-operative testing of human olfactory function. * to systematically evaluate the role of individual intranasal agents on olfaction to further optimize the electrical signal acquisition from olfactory tissue.