Proteomics Comparison of Nasal Lavage Fluid in Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps with or without Asthma

Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) accompanied by asthma generally has a poor prognosis. We used proteomic methods to explore the effect of comorbid asthma on CRSwNP. Methods Differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified separately in nasal lavage fluid (NLF) between control, CRSwNP and CRSwNP with asthma groups by bioinformatics analysis based on proteomics. The key proteins involved in effect of comorbid asthma on CRSwNP were further identified according to gradient change of DEPs between the three groups by DIA quantification. Results Compared to the control, 1377 DEPs and 1006 DEPs were identified in NLF from CRSwNP and CRSwNP with asthma groups, respectively. The biological function of DEPs in CRSwNP was highly similar to that in CRSwNP with asthma by GO and KOG enrichment analysis, but the enriched pathways in the two groups were different, mainly enriched in ‘Hippo signaling pathway’, ‘Endocytosis’ and ‘Wnt signaling pathway’, ‘Carbon metabolism’, respectively. Two up-regulated proteins PRDX5, RanBP1 and a down-regulated protein KRT9 were identified as the key proteins involved in asthma affecting CRSwNP because they showed the same changing trends whether in CRSwNP or CRSwNP with asthma, and the change was most significant in CRSwNP with asthma. Conclusion Comorbid asthma can promote the occurrence and development of nasal polyps through related key proteins and signaling pathways.