Local Inflammation in Chronic Upper Airway Disease

Chronic Rhinosinusitis (CRS), a chronic upper airway inflammation, is an inflammation of the nose and the paranasal cavities and is highly prevalent. Chronic rhinosinusitis is currently classified as CRS with nasal polyps or CRS without nasal polyps. This review highlights the pathophysiological differences in CRS on remodeling and on T-cell patterns. Nasal polyps have a high co-morbidity with the lower airway inflammatory disease, asthma. Evidence is accumulating for the role of superantigens, Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxins, in CRS with nasal polyps and asthma, both T helper 2 –biased diseases. Until today there are no biomarkers involved in the diagnosis of CRS or the treatment follow-up. Further differentiation of the phenotype of the disease is needed, which will reflect in the development of new biomarkers and in new innovative treatment options. Defining and predicting response to therapy in individual CRS patients is a challenge for future research.