S. aureus biofilm metabolic activity correlates positively with patients’ eosinophil frequencies and disease severity in chronic rhinosinusitis

• DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2023.105213
• Publication Date: 2023-08-30T00:54:45Z
• Authors: Gohar Shaghayegh; Clare Cooksley; George Bouras; Ghais Houtak; Roshan Nepal; Alkis James Psaltis; Peter-John Wormald; Sarah Vreugde
• Keywords: Pathogenesis; Nasal Polyps

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a persistent inflammation of the sinus mucosa. Recalcitrant CRS patients are unresponsive to medical and surgical interventions often present with nasal polyps, tissue eosinophilia, Staphylococcus aureus dominant mucosal biofilms. However, S. sinonasal colonisation occurs in absence inflammation, questioning role pathogenesis. Here, we aimed investigate relationship between biofilm metabolic activity virulence genes, innate immune cells, disease severity CRS. Biospecimens, including swabs, clinical datasets, scores, were obtained from non-CRS controls. isolates grown into biofilms vitro, characterised, sequenced. The patients' response was evaluated using flow cytometry. isolated 6/19 (31.58%) controls 23/53 (43.40%) 72 recruited patients. We found increased relation eosinophil cell frequencies recalcitrant cases. Mast higher samples carrying harbouring lukF.PV, sea, fnbB genes. Patients lukF.PV sdrE genes had more severe disease. This offers insights pathophysiology could lead development targeted therapies.