Explore the vast range of titles available.

We previously found that intravenous injection of extracellular vesicles (EVs) from human adipose tissue–derived stem cells (hADSC) could ameliorate allergic rhinitis (AR) in mice through immunomodulatory effects. In clinical trials, nasal delivery has been an attractive treatment for AR. We sought to determine whether there are differences in the therapeutic effects between caudal injection and their combination. We treated AR mice with ADSC-EVs via caudal vein, nasal cavity, or both. After treatment, the mice were re-sensitized and the indices of behavior, nasal mucosa morphology, and cytokine secretion of the mice under different modes of administration were calculated. The resultes show that tail vein, nasal, and combined administration could effectively relieve the inflammatory infiltration of the nasal mucosa of mice, reduce the secretion of IgE, IL-4, and other inflammatory factors, and alleviate the Th1/Th2 imbalance. Injection and nasal delivery, as well as their combination, effectively alleviated the symptoms of rhinitis in mice. Nasal administration has a better therapeutic effect when the inflammatory response is mild. It could be speculated that ADSC-EVs have excellent properties in the treatment of AR, and modes of administration can be selected for different stages of treatment in clinical therapy. Graphical abstract

The pandemic of \"Corona Virus Disease 2019\" (COVID-19) has changed the lives of people. There have been changes in common outpatient and emergency cases in otolaryngology, so an analysis of data pertaining to this was completed. This study is to evaluate the impact of viral infection disease in otolaryngological common disease. This study uses the data of common diseases in the outpatient and emergency department during the \"COVID-19\" pandemic (from February to April 2020) and the same period in the past 3 years from the Department of Otolaryngology. During the \"COVID-19\" period compared with the same period last year, the ranking of cases by diseases has changed. Diseases such as chronic pharyngitis, allergic rhinitis, sudden deafness, and tinnitus increased, meanwhile acute pharyngitis and acute laryngopharyngitis decreased (𝑝 < 0.05). The viral infection has impacted the mental behaviors of people, therefore mental-related disease cases of the department of Otolaryngology have increased indirectly. This study provides real data to illustrate mental-related diseases. It also provides experience and shows the importance of keeping and maintaining mental health.

Background/Objectives: To investigate the relationship between patient age and the clinical efficacy of subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) for allergic rhinitis (AR), aiming to provide a reference for patient selection and efficacy improvement in clinical practice. Methods: We conducted a retrospective statistical analysis of clinical data from 240 AR patients who underwent standardized house dust mite (HDM) SCIT for at least 6 months at our hospital between 2019 and 2025. Patients were stratified into four age groups (children, young adults, middle-aged adults, and the elderly) according to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification. The clinical efficacy, nasal symptom scores, Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) scores, peripheral blood regulatory T cell (Treg) and regulatory B cell (Breg) levels, and adverse reactions were analyzed across these age strata. Additionally, to investigate the underlying mechanisms, we utilized a public single-cell transcriptomic dataset (GSE176269; n = 35, age 4 months-65 years) to assess the relationship between T cell senescence and age through data integration and senescence gene set scoring. For multiple comparisons, the significance level was adjusted using the Bonferroni method. This adjustment ensured the overall significance level (α) of the study was maintained at 0.05, and the final adjusted significance level (α′) for each age group was 0.0125. Results: The overall response rate for the entire cohort was 62.5%. Age-stratified analysis revealed a significantly higher response rate in children (83.3%) compared to middle-aged and elderly patients (48.5% and 20%, respectively), with the difference being statistically significant (p < 0.001). Following treatment, both total nasal symptom scores and RQLQ scores decreased significantly across all age groups compared to baseline (p < 0.001). Peripheral blood Treg and Breg levels increased post-treatment in all age groups; however, the increase was not statistically significant in the middle-aged and elderly groups (p > 0.0125). The incidence of systemic adverse reactions was 4.17% (all Grade I), occurring primarily in the child and young adult groups, but the difference among age groups was not statistically significant (p > 0.0125). Mechanistically, our single-cell analysis revealed that T cells within the nasal mucosa exhibit significant age-dependent senescence. Conclusions: SCIT is a safe and effective treatment for AR across all age groups. However, pediatric patients appear to derive greater benefit compared to middle-aged and elderly patients, a finding that corresponds with age-stratified immunological data. Therefore, different efficacy expectations should be considered when selecting SCIT for patients of varying ages, and future research should explore strategies targeting T cell senescence to enhance desensitization efficacy in elderly patients.

Background Petrositis is a rare and fatal complication associated with otitis media. It is most likely caused by bacterial infections, but in some cases it is caused by fungal infections. Case study The case in this report is associated with fungal petrositis. The clinical symptoms are: ear pain from chronic otitis media, severe headache, peripheral facial palsy and diplopia. The case was finally confirmed through imaging of middle ear, bacterial culture, pathology, and blood Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) test. The patient was treated with sensitive antifungal drugs. Conclusion Drug treatment is conservative but efficient method in this case. mNGS can provide pathogenic reference, when antibiotic is not efficient enough for fungal infections or drug-resistant fungal infections cases. This allows we to adjust drug use for the treatment.

To explore the therapeutic potential of blocking thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), we conducted a phase 1b/2a, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to assess the safety and efficacy of CM326, a monoclonal antibody against TSLP. We enrolled 84 eligible patients with uncontrolled CRSwNP and stratified them based on baseline tissue eosinophil count. Patients are assigned to receive CM326 220 mg ( n  = 40) or placebo ( n  = 20) every 2 weeks (Q2W) and CM326 220 mg ( n  = 20) or placebo ( n  = 4) every 4 weeks (Q4W) for 16 weeks. Subsequently, all patients continue on CM326 220 mg Q2W or Q4W for an additional 36 weeks, followed by a 12-week follow up. Primary endpoints are safety of CM326 and change from baseline in NPS at week 16 in patients with eosinophilic CRSwNP (ECRSwNP). Main secondary endpoints include the change from baseline in NPS at week 16 in non-eosinophilic CRSwNP (nonECRwNP) and pharmacodynamic markers. Throughout the 64-week study, all treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) are mild or moderate. CM326 Q2W improves NPS in patients with ECRSwNP compared with placebo at week 16 (mean difference [95% CI], −1.2 [−2.3 to −0.1], P  = 0.04), with sustained benefits during the open-label and follow-up periods. Notably, peripheral blood and tissue eosinophil counts and concentrations of plasma IL-13 and IL-5 are reduced by week 16 with the treatment of CM326 Q2W versus placebo. A post-hoc analysis demonstrates that all participants with baseline TSLP > 330 fg/mL achieve a substantial reduction in NPS by week 16 with the treatment of CM326 Q2W (mean difference vs. placebo: −1.75 [95%CI, −3.06 to −0.44], P  = 0.01). Overall, CM326 is well tolerated and effective in patients with uncontrolled ECRSwNP. A baseline plasma TSLP level of 330 fg/mL may serve as a predictive marker for treatment efficacy of CM326. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05324137. Anti-TSLP biologics have shown promise for the clinical treatment of type 2 respiratory disease. Here the authors present a clinical trial of CM326, a monoclonal antibody against TSLP, and show the clinical effects in patients with eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (ECRSwNP), who present with type 2-dominant inflammation.

Background: The development of the global economy has led to changes in air pollution patterns. The haze phenomenon characterized by high concentrations of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) has changed to complex pollution, and photochemical pollution characterized by ozone (O3) has become increasingly prominent. Ozone pollution and its impact on human health has become an important topic that needs to be studied urgently. Objective: To investigate the effects of ozone on oxidative stress and inflammation in the nasal mucosa of a rat model. Methods: Thirty-two healthy female Sprague–Dawley rats, eight in each group, were divided into four groups using the randomized numeric table method: normal control group (NC group), normal rats with a low level of ozone inhalation exposure (NEL group, 0.5 ppm), medium ozone inhalation exposure (NEM group, 1 ppm), and high ozone inhalation exposure (NEH group, 2 ppm). The ozone inhalation exposure groups were placed in the ozone inhalation exposure system and exposed to different concentrations of ozone for 2 h each day for 6 weeks. Nasal secretion was measured, and nasal lavage and nasal mucosa were collected. Malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities were measured by colorimetric assay, and the nasal mucosa was analyzed by Western blot. Western blot (WB) was used to detect the expression of NF-κB p65 nuclear protein in nasal mucosa. The mRNA expression of NF-κB target genes IL-6 and IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) was detected by real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR), and the protein content of pro-inflammatory factors IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α was detected by ELISA in serum and nasal lavage fluid. The nasal mucosa of rats was stained with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) to observe the pathological changes in the nasal mucosa. The data were analyzed by SPSS 20.0 software. Results: The amount of nasal secretion increased significantly in all groups after ozone exposure compared with that in the NC group. The MDA content of the nasal mucosa was significantly increased in the ozone-exposed group compared with the NC group, and the activity levels of SOD and GSH-Px in the nasal mucosa were lower in the ozone-exposed group than in the NC group. The mRNA expression of IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α in the nasal mucosa of the ozone-exposed group was elevated, and the protein content of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8 in the nasal lavage fluid was elevated, and the content increased with the increase in ozone concentration. The expression of NF-κB p65 intracellular protein in the nasal mucosa of each ozone-exposed group was higher than that of the normal group, and the content increased with the increase in ozone concentration. Conclusions: Ozone inhalation exposure promotes oxidative stress and the release of inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8, leading to pathological damage of the nasal mucosa, the degree of which increases with increasing concentration. This pathological process may be related to the activation of the transcription factor NF-κB by ozone in the nasal mucosa of rats, which increases the expression of its target genes.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the nasal mucosa, but we have not fully understood the mechanism responsible for the development of AR. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short endogenous noncoding RNAs regulating protein translation through a mechanism known as RNA interference. To understand the molecular mechanisms of miRNA involved in the pathogenesis of AR, expressed miRNAs in AR were investigated through genomewide microarray analysis. Mammalian miRNA microarrays containing whole human mature and precursor miRNA sequences were used for analyzing eight samples of nasal mucosa of AR and eight samples of nonallergic patients. Quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of some different expressed miRNAs was used to confirm the array results. The miRNA microarray chip analysis identified 421 miRNAs differentially expressed in the nasal mucosa of AR, and a total of 9 miRNAs were identified in the AR group with twofold change compared with control samples (p < 0.05). These included up-regulated miRNAs, hsa-hsa-miR-7, and hsa-miRPlus-E1194, and down-regulated miRNAs, hsa-miR-498, hsa-miR-187, hsa-miR-874, hsa-miR-143, hsa-miR-886-3p, hsa-miR-224, and hsa-miR-767-5p. RT-PCR results also confirmed that part of differentially expressed miRNAs as hsa-miR-224, hsa-miR-187, and hsa-miR-143 were down-regulated in AR. The report indicated that many miRNA expressions were altered in AR and differentially expressed miRNAs appear to be involved in the development of AR. The study of miRNAs may lead to a better understanding about the roles of identified miRNAs in the pathogenesis of AR; this would be considered in future therapeutic strategies.

Objective. The concentration of exhaled NO and CO is considered as a candidate marker of respiratory inflammatory disease. This report discusses the exhaled NO and CO in the auxiliary diagnosis and evaluation of allergic rhinitis (AR). Methods. 60 AR patients from October 2017 to March 2019, compared with 30 healthy controls. The severity of AR disease was distinguished by symptom score. Both groups were tested for exhaled nitric oxide through the nose or mouth and exhale carbon monoxide through the mouth. AR patients received glucocorticoid nasal spray for 1 month and were tested again for nNO, eNO, eCO, and symptom score. Results. Before treatment, all the nNO, eNO, and eCO of the AR group were higher than the control group. There were differences in the severe and moderate subgroup: severe>moderate>mild. eCO was not significantly different between the mild and control groups. The nNO, eNO, and eCO levels were positively correlated with symptom score. After treatment, nNO decreased significantly in the three subgroups; eNO and eCO in the severe AR group decreased significantly. Drawing the ROC curve, the area under curve (AUC) of nNO is 0.978. The AUC of eNO and eCO was 0.786 and 0.577, respectively. Conclusion. The nNO, eNO, and eCO in the AR group are higher than healthy people, which positively correlated with the severity of AR symptoms. The detection of nNO, eNO, and eCO can monitor the changes of AR. The detection of nNO level as an indicator of AR auxiliary diagnosis has high accuracy.

Background/Aims: To investigate the regulation of LaCl 3 on lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines and adhesion molecules in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Methods: Primary cultured HUVECs were pretreated with 2.5 µM LaCl 3 for 30 min followed by 1 µg/ml LPS for 2 h. Pro-inflammatory cytokine and adhesion molecule expressions were determined by real-time RT-PCR and ELISA. NF-κB/p65 nuclear translocation was examined by immunofluorescence and immuno-blot, and its DNA-binding activity was measured by chemiluminescence. Recruitment of NF-κB/p65, Jmjd3, and H3K27me3 to gene promoter regions was determined by ChIP-qPCR. Results: LaCl 3 exhibited no cytotoxic effects to primary HUVECs at concentrations ≤ 50 µM. LPS-mediated TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, MMP-9, and ICAM-1 production, nuclear translocation, and DNA-binding activity of NF-κB/p65, as well as Jmjd3 expression, were all reduced significantly by LaCl 3 . Furthermore, LaCl 3 treatment significantly impaired LPS-induced enrichment of NF-κB/p65 to the promoter regions of TNF-α, MMP-9, IL-1β, ICAM-1, and IL-6; and of Jmjd3 to the promoter regions of TNF-α, MMP-9, IL-1β, and IL-6. H3K27me3 abundance in the promoter regions of TNF-α and ICAM-1 increased significantly in following LaCl 3 treatment. Conclusion: LaCl 3 inhibits pro-inflammatory cytokine and adhesion molecule expressions induced by LPS in HUVECs. NF-κB and histone demethylase Jmjd3 are involved in this effect.

Adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) are a subset of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), showing broad anti allergic effects in type 2 inflammation. Their systemic efficacy in allergic rhinitis (AR) is not well defined. In this study, we tested whether prolonged and repeated ADSC delivery improves outcomes in the AR mouse model. An ovalbumin (OVA) induced AR mouse model was established. Mice were divided into three groups: a control group, an AR model group, and an ADSC treatment group. Each group was administered phosphate buffered saline (PBS) or ADSCs via tail vein infusion during defined treatment phases. Symptom severity including nasal scratching and sneezing was recorded before and after treatment. Nasal mucosal pathology and inflammatory biomarkers were assessed at the same time points. Therapeutic efficacy was evaluated by the therapeutic efficacy index (TEI). Systemic tail vein injection of ADSCs significantly attenuated AR symptoms and nasal inflammation. Treated mice exhibited decreased frequencies of nasal scratching and sneezing. Consistently, serum specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE), immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) were also reduced. Concurrently, both transcriptional and cytokine profiling indicated an increased ratio of T helper 1 (Th1) to T helper 2 (Th2) related cytokines, indicating restoration of immune balance. Besides, long-term (4-weeks) ADSC therapy with multi-injection yielded superior efficacy over short-term (1-week and 2-weeks) regimens in therapeutic efficacy index (TEI) analysis. Systemic ADSC delivery through the tail vein alleviated AR in mice. Extended multi-injection schedules produced greater benefit. ADSCs represent a promising systemic immunomodulatory therapy for AR, with enhanced efficacy under longer treatment cycles.