Differences in men and women suffering from CRSwNP and AERD in quality of life

Sex and gender in rhinosinusitis: a review

Rhinosinusitis is a highly prevalent, inflammatory condition affecting the nose and paranasal sinuses, impacting an individual's quality of life with significant health care burden. Sinusitis is more frequent in females, and they typically present with more severe symptoms and worse quality of life scores. Males are more likely to present with nasal polyps and have higher objective scores on imaging studies. Differences in sinus microbiota by sex may play a role in understanding differences in clinical presentations between them, but additional research is required. An improved understanding of sex and gender-based differences in pathophysiology and clinical presentations will help to decrease inequities in accessing healthcare and optimizing long-term personalized patient outcomes.

Monoclonal Antibody Switching in Biologic Treatment of Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps

Objectives: to evaluate our real-world data on the efficacy and safety of switching between two monoclonal antibodies in biologic treatment of uncontrolled chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). Methods: All patients receiving biologic treatment for uncontrolled CRSwNP between April 2020 and March 2024 at a tertiary referral center who needed transitioning between biologic agents were retrospectively analyzed. The following parameters were investigated: patient's clinical characteristics, wash-out periods, treatment outcome, and switching-related side effects. Results: Out of 91 CRSwNP patients who received biologic treatment, 4 patients (4.4%) necessitated switching to an alternative biologic agent. Three patients were switched to a different antibody because of insufficient symptom control with the initially prescribed biologic, while the other patient required switching to an alternative agent due to a side effect. Switching resulted in all four patients achieving a significant improvement in all outcome parameters. There were no switching-related side effects, and the switching procedure was performed in three cases without a wash-out period. Conclusion: CRSwNP patients under biologic therapy with an insufficient response or medication-related side effect may benefit from switching to an alternative biologic agent. Larger, prospective multicenter studies are warranted to further validate the effectiveness and safety of switching agents in the biologic treatment of CRSwNP.

The Burden of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease: Interplay Between Quality of Life and Economic Implications

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-exacerbated respiratory disease (NSAID-ERD) presents a significant challenge in clinical management owing to recalcitrant disease with accompanying profound impacts on patient quality of life. Although asthma represents a significant component of this disease, quality of life disruptions are driven primarily by recalcitrant sinonasal problems, olfactory dysfunction, and the associated psychosocial and dietary implications. This review delves into specific quality of life metrics used to assess NSAID-ERD and the associated health care burden and financial implications of this disease, offering insights into the comparative challenges in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps when available. The article reviews the associated costs and cost-effectiveness of NSAID-ERD-directed therapies, including endoscopic sinus surgery, aspirin desensitization, and biologic therapy. Although some of these emerging treatment approaches show promise, they also present numerous unanswered questions, reflecting the dynamic nature of this field. As the landscape of NSAID-ERD management continues to evolve, this review provides insights into the challenges faced by clinicians and underscores the need for further research to optimize patient care and quality of life outcomes.

Sex-based differences in severity of chronic rhinosinusitis as reported by SNOT-22 scores

OBJECTIVES

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a widely prevalent condition, however its degree of severity according to sex requires further study. The literature shows that sex-based differences exist in the severity of asthma and allergic airway disease in the population. These findings point to a potential hormonal cause for this difference, but there is no study suggesting the role of sex in CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). The purpose of this study was to examine the association of sex and CRSwNP severity in the United States.

METHODS

This study was conducted on data gathered from 181 participants in the NAVIGATE I and NAVIGATE II randomized control trials within the OPTINOSE database. Participants were analyzed based on sex controlling for airway-related comorbidities, including history of asthma, race, and ethnicity. SNOT-22 scores were assessed as a quality-of-life outcome measure for CRS. The association between sex and SNOT-22 scores was determined using multiple linear regression.

RESULTS

There were 81 female and 100 male participants. SNOT-22 scores were significantly higher in females. The average reported SNOT-22 score was 53.8 ± 16.5 in females and 46.8 ± 18.8 in males. On adjusted regression, the association of sex and SNOT-22 scores approached but didn't reach significance (β: -4.97; 95 % CI: -10.68-0.73; p = 0.09).

CONCLUSIONS

On average, females had more severe manifestations of CRSwNP in comparison to males, with the adjusted association approaching statistical significance. Further studies, potentially looking at hormones as a cause of pathogenesis, are needed to better elucidate the role of sex in CRSwNP.

The Role of the Gut and Airway Microbiota in Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps: A Systematic Review

In recent years, there has been growing interest in understanding the potential role of microbiota dysbiosis or alterations in the composition and function of human microbiota in the development of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP). This systematic review evaluated the literature on CRSwNP and host microbiota for the last ten years, including mainly nasal bacteria, viruses, and fungi, following the PRISMA guidelines and using the major scientific publication databases. Seventy original papers, mainly from Asia and Europe, met the inclusion criteria, providing a comprehensive overview of the microbiota composition in CRSwNP patients and its implications for inflammatory processes in nasal polyps. This review also explores the potential impact of microbiota-modulating therapies for the CRSwNP treatment. Despite variability in study populations and methodologies, findings suggest that fluctuations in specific taxa abundance and reduced bacterial diversity can be accepted as critical factors influencing the onset or severity of CRSwNP. These microbiota alterations appear to be implicated in triggering cell-mediated immune responses, cytokine cascade changes, and defects in the epithelial barrier. Although further human studies are required, microbiota-modulating strategies could become integral to future combined CRSwNP treatments, complementing current therapies that mainly target inflammatory mediators and potentially improving patient outcomes.

Dupilumab improves outcomes in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps irrespective of gender: results from the SINUS-52 trial

Objectives

This post hoc analysis assessed disease characteristics and response to dupilumab treatment in male and female patients with severe chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) (SINUS-52 study; NCT02898454).

Methods

Patients received dupilumab 300 mg or placebo every 2 weeks for 52 weeks on background intranasal corticosteroids. Efficacy was assessed through Week 52 using nasal polyp score (NPS), nasal congestion/obstruction score, loss of smell score and University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test score. Disease-specific health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was assessed using the 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22).

Results

The analysis included 192 male and 111 female patients. Female patients had higher mean SNOT-22 total score (56.6 vs. 49.1, P < 0.01) and more coexisting asthma (78.4% vs. 46.4%, P < 0.0001) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-exacerbated respiratory disease (NSAID-ERD) (38.7% vs. 18.8%, P = 0.0001) than male patients, but other baseline characteristics were similar. Dupilumab significantly improved CRSwNP outcomes vs. placebo at Week 52, regardless of gender: least squares mean differences (95% confidence interval) for NPS were -2.33 (-2.80, -1.86) in male and -2.54 (-3.18, -1.90) in female patients (both P < 0.0001 vs. placebo), and for SNOT-22 were -19.2 (-24.1, -14.2) in male and -24.4 (-31.5, -17.3) in female patients (both P < 0.0001 vs. placebo). There were no significant efficacy-by-gender interactions.

Conclusion

Female patients had greater asthma, NSAID-ERD and HRQoL burden at baseline than male patients. Dupilumab treatment significantly improved objective and subjective outcomes compared with placebo, irrespective of gender.

Gender Differences in Adults With Chronic Rhinosinusitis: A Scoping Review

OBJECTIVE

Gender differences in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) have been demonstrated in many studies over the last 15 years. The purpose of this scoping review is to investigate the current knowledge on gender differences in CRS and to analyze the gaps in the literature.

DATA SOURCES

A systematic search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases was performed.

REVIEW METHODS

This scoping review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Studies that evaluated gender differences in CRS were included in the review.

RESULTS

Of the 523 abstracts reviewed, a total of 23 studies met the criteria for inclusion. Articles consisted of retrospective and prospective cohort studies. They were divided into 3 categories based on whether they evaluated gender differences in (1) presentation and baseline quality of life, (2) pathophysiology, and/or (3) outcomes of treatment. Eleven studies addressed differences in presentation, 5 addressed differences in pathophysiology, and 10 dealt with differences in outcomes after surgical or medical management. Most of the studies showed worse baseline QoL secondary to CRS in women, with outcome of treatment being similar in both genders.

CONCLUSION

The experience of CRS appears to vary between genders, with women experiencing a greater subjective burden of disease than men, though with similar outcomes after treatment. Further research is indicated, particularly involving the pathophysiology of CRS, to fully understand the underlying causes of these discrepancies.

Sex Differences in Presentation and Surgical Outcomes From a Prospective Multicenter Chronic Rhinosinusitis Study

OBJECTIVE

Despite extensive research into chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) epidemiology, presentation, and outcomes, there is scant knowledge on sex-specific differences. The objective of this study was to identify differences between male and female patients with CRS in baseline disease severity at presentation, choice for surgery vs continued medical treatment, and postoperative response.

STUDY DESIGN

We evaluated data on demographic and health characteristics, clinical objective disease measures, and sinus-specific and general health patient-reported outcome measures.

SETTING

Secondary analysis of prospective multicenter outcome study.

METHODS

Comparison of cohort characteristics and baseline and postoperative measures was performed with a t test, chi-square test of independence, or Fisher exact test. Within-subject improvement was compared between sexes with a linear mixed model.

RESULTS

Females reported worse quality of life on presentation and postsurgery, despite experiencing less severe disease by standard clinical measures. Overall, females and males showed similar within-subject improvement after surgery. However, certain quality of life domains and disease measures showed sex-specific improvement. Females demonstrated greater within-subject improvement in SF6D-derived health utility and the SNOT-22 ear and facial, psychological, and sleep subdomains, although this did not reach statistical significance for the overall cohort.

CONCLUSION

Incorporating data on sex-specific differences may be important to personalize CRS treatment decision making. The discordance between patient-reported and clinical measures in CRS has been demonstrated in other pathologies and appears to be exaggerated by sex. Biological and psychological bases for sex-specific differences in CRS manifestations are an intriguing topic for further research.

Correlation of polyp grading scales with patient symptom scores and olfaction in chronic rhinosinusitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Various nasal polyp (NP) scoring systems have been proposed and used in the literature. However, no single system has been identified as superior. Correlations between NP scoring systems and patient symptoms, quality of life (QOL) or olfaction vary widely.

METHODS

A systematic search of PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and Cochrane Library was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guideline. Any study examining endoscopy scores and symptom, QOL or olfaction measures in cross sectional manner or after therapeutic intervention were included.

RESULTS

This review identified 55 studies for a pooled meta-analysis of Lund-Kennedy (LK-NP) polyp scores (N = 6), Meltzer scores (N = 6), Nasal polyp scores (NPS; N = 19), Total polyp score (TPS; N=8) Lilholdt scores (N = 8), Olfactory cleft endoscopy score (OCES; N =4), Discharge, inflammation, polyp/edema score (DIP; N = 2), and Perioperative sinus endoscopy score (POSE; N = 2). Meta-regression assessed correlations between NP grading systems and SNOT-22, nasal congestion scores, total nasal symptom scores (TNSS), and Smell Identification Test-40 (SIT40). None of the NP grading systems correlated significantly with any symptom, QOL or olfactory metric. In intervention studies of surgery or monoclonal antibody treatment, changes in NPS scores did not correlate with any patient reported outcome measure (PROM) or olfactory outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Current NP endoscopic scoring systems are not associated with PROMs such as SNOT-22, nasal congestion scores, and TNSS as well as objective measures of olfaction. NP grading systems with improved clinical utility are needed.

Sex and age-related differences in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps electing ESS

PURPOSE

Sex and age of patients are variables affecting across the board all chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) endotypes. The main aim of this investigation was to compare the clinical, laboratory, pathological and prognostic characteristics of CRSwNP in male vs female patients stratified according to age (young-adult [20 years ≤ age ≤ 40 years], and elderly [age ≥ 65 years]). This is the first study that analyzed the association of the above-mentioned features with age and sex combination in CRSwNP electing endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

One hundred and five consecutive young-adult patients (62 males and 43 females) and 67 elderly patients (44 males and 23 females) with CRSwNP who had undergone ESS were enrolled.

RESULTS

The recurrence rate resulted associated with the age and sex combination (p = 0.0165). Young-adult males' recurrence rate (29.0%) was higher than young-adult females (11.6%) and elderly males (4.5%). Allergy resulted associated with age and sex combination (p = 0.0158). Young-adult males' allergy rate (50.0%) was higher than elderly males' (29.5%) and elderly females' (13%). Moreover, allergy rate was higher in young-adult females (41.9%) than in elderly females.

CONCLUSION

Our data suggest the possibility of an interaction between sex and age in the recurrence of nasal polyposis after ESS. More studies are needed to understand the role of sex hormones in pathogenesis and prognosis of CRSwNP.