Procalcitonin Levels in Chronic Rhinosinusitis

Özet

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate andcompare procalcitonin levels of patients diagnosedwith chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP) and CRS without nasal polyposis(CRSsNP) along with healthy controls.Methods: A total of 67 subjects were included. Twenty-two CRSwNP patients were included in group A,25 CRSsNP patients in group B, and the controlgroup (group C) consisted of 20 healthy subjects.Procalcitonin level was assessed after CRSwNP orCRSsNP diagnosis. Healthy individuals scheduledfor septorhinoplasty constituted the control group.Nasal polyposis was graded according to the MeltzerClinical Scoring System.Results: The mean procalcitonin levels of patientsof groups A, B and C were 0.042±0.020 µg/L,0.031±0.016 µg/L and 0.031±0.010 µg/L, respectively. Mean procalcitonin levels were significantly higher in group A compared to groups B and C(p=0.05 and p=0.032). However, mean procalcitoninlevels were not significantly different between groupB and group C (p=0.962). Four patients (18%) hadgrade 1, three had (13.6%) grade 2, eight had (36.4%)grade 3, and seven had (31.8%) grade 4 polyposis.Mean procalcitonin levels for grades 1, 2, 3 and 4polyposis were 0.045±0.030 µg/L, 0.037±0.006µg/L, 0.041±0.021 µg/L and 0.043±0.019 µg/L,respectively. No statistical significance was presentregarding the mean procalcitonin levels of polyposisgrades (p>0.05).Conclusion: Procalcitonin, which is an important inflammatory marker especially in sepsis and systemicinflammation, was significantly elevated in CRSwNPpatients compared to CRSsNP patients and healthycontrols. This may support the presence of chronicmucosal inflammation in CRSwNP patients. However, procalcitonin is an indirect marker of inflammation and further studies with larger patient groups arewarranted.