Analysis of Bacterial Biofilm Formation and MUC5AC and MUC5B Expression in Chronic Rhinosinusitis Patients

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a condition affecting as much as 16% of the adult population in developed countries with many factors attributed to its development, including the more recently proposed role of bacterial biofilm infections. Plenty of research has been conducted on biofilms in CRS and the causes behind the development of such an infection in the nasal cavity and sinuses. One such probable cause is the production of mucin glycoproteins by the mucosa of the nasal cavity. To investigate the possible link between biofilm formation and mucin expression levels and their relationship with CRS etiology, we examined samples from 85 patients by means of spinning disk confocal microscopy (SDCM) to establish their biofilm status and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to determine MUC5AC and MUC5B expression levels. We observed a significantly higher prevalence of bacterial biofilms in the CRS patient group compared to the control group. In addition, we detected higher expression levels of MUC5B but not MUC5AC in the CRS group, which suggested a possible role for MUC5B in CRS development. Finally, we found no direct relationship between biofilm presence and mucin expression levels, thereby showing a multifaceted connection between these two major factors implicated in CRS etiology.

Automated summary

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) affects a significant portion of the adult population in developed countries and can be attributed to various factors, including bacterial biofilm infections. This research examined the relationship between biofilm formation and mucin expression levels in CRS by analyzing samples from 85 patients. The findings showed a higher prevalence of bacterial biofilms in CRS patients, as well as elevated levels of MUC5B expression, suggesting a potential role for MUC5B in CRS development. However, there was no direct correlation between biofilm presence and mucin expression levels, highlighting the complex connection between these factors in CRS etiology.