TAS2R38 Bitter Taste Receptor Expression in Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps: New Data on Polypoid Tissue

Abstract

Studies have shown differences in TAS2R38 receptor expression in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) compared to healthy controls. Known agonists of TAS2R38 stimulate epithelial cells, leading to robust intracellular nitric oxide (NO) production, which damages bacterial membranes, enzymes, and DNA, but also increases ciliary beat frequency. In this study we examined, using qRT-PCR, the expression of TAS2R38 receptor in nasal polyps (NP) of patients with CRS (N = 107) and in inferior turbinate mucosa (ITM) of patients with CRS and controls (N = 39), and confronted it with clinical features and the severity of the disease. The expression was shown in 43 (50.00%) samples of ITM in the study group (N = 107), in 28 (71.79%) in the control group (N = 39) (p = 0.037), and in 43 (46.24%) of NP. There were no differences in levels of the expression in all analyzed tissues. Patients who rated their symptoms at 0–3 showed higher TAS2R38 expression in ITM in comparison to the patients with 8–10 points on the VAS scale (p = 0.020). A noticeable, however not significant, correlation between the TAS2R38 expression in ITM and the Lund–Mackay CT score was shown (p = 0.068; R = −0.28). Patients with coexisting asthma had significantly higher receptor expression in the NP (p = 0.012). Our study is the first to confirm the presence of the TAS2R38 receptor in NP. Expression of the TAS2R38 receptor is reduced in the sinonasal mucosa in patients with more advanced CRS with NP.

Oxidative Stress and Air Pollution: Its Impact on Chronic Respiratory Diseases

“…The expression of TAS2R38 in the cilia of human sinonasal epithelial cells is associated with susceptibility to CRS. Patients with advanced CRSwNP showed reduced TAS2R38 receptor expression in the sinonasal mucosa [22]. Similar results were found in Italian patients with CRSwNP [23].…”

Clinical Associations of Bitter Taste Perception and Bitter Taste Receptor Variants and the Potential for Personalized Healthcare

“…100,101 Concurrently, genotype studies have shown that 1) CRS patients with the nonfunctional AVI/AVI variant were significant more likely to undergo surgical intervention due medical management being ineffective; 2) patients with PAV/PAV genotypes had significantly lower computed tomography (CT) scores compared to AVI/AVI genotypes; 3) presence of culturable bacteria was more likely in nasal swabs from patients with the AVI/AVI genotype; 4) in vivo biofilm formation was more likely in sinonasal mucosa samples of AVI/AVI patients; 5) there was a higher frequency of CRS patients with both the minor allele (A) at SNP rs10772420 for the TAS2R19 gene and the non-taster allele (A) of the TAS2R38 gene; 6) CRS patients had higher levels of TAS2R38 expression compared to controls and higher TAS2R38 expression was associated with increased severity of inflammation; and 7) TAS2R38 expression in the inferior turbinate mucosa was higher in CRS patients with more severe symptoms and in patients with both asthma and nasal polyps. [102][103][104][105][106][107][108][109] These trends held true for disorders that caused similar respiratory manifestations, such as cystic fibrosis and primary ciliary dyskinesia. There was a lower frequency of the PAV allele in cystic fibrosis patients with nasal polyposis who required surgery and in cystic fibrosis patients with chronic pulmonary colonization by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.…”

Taste Receptors beyond Taste Buds

“…Pou2f3-deficient mice lack TRPM5 SCCs in the nasal cavity, implying that they follow a similar developmental program as tuft cells in other regions. Transcripts for bitter receptors are expressed in the nasal mucosa, and their expression is regulated by sinonasal infection [ 62 ]. Bitter tastants and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ( P. aeruginosa )-derived quorum-sensing molecules such as LasI (3-oxo-C12-HSL) and EsaI (3-oxo-C6-HSL/C6-HSL) evoke Ca 2+ responses in sinonasal SCCs [ 53 ].…”