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Silent rhinovirus (RV) infections in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) are prevalent and associated with distinct immune responses, according to findings published in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Larry Borish, MD, and colleagues examined the prevalence and impact of silent RV infection in nasal tissues among 47 controls and 101 patients with CRSwNP, categorizing patients as RV-positive (+), RV-negative (−), and in the “gray zone.” Silent RV infection was prevalent in the tissues of both controls (34%) and patients with CRSwNP (30.7%). In patients with CRSwNP, silent RV infection was associated with decreased type 1 interferon (IFN), interleukin (IL)-17A, type 2 inflammation, and IL-10, but higher levels of type 2 IFN versus those without RV infection. Controls were associated with high expression of types 1 and 2 IFN, type 2 inflammation, IL-17A, and IL-10. In addition, RV(+) nasal polyps had fewer tissue eosinophils and neutrophils than RV(−) nasal polyps.
