BACKGROUND: A symptom-based questionnaire (the ‘Lac-Q’ questionnaire) for adult patients undergoing lacrimal drainage surgery was developed. The questionnaire yields a numerical score that can be used to assess severity of symptoms.
METHODOLOGY In this study, the questionnaire was evaluated in 17 consecutive patients undergoing 22 dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) procedures. The questionnaire was administered pre- and postoperatively. The pathology encountered at operation was recorded. The success of surgery was judged by patient satisfaction, endoscopic evaluation of DCR stomal patency, and objective lacrimal drainage testing using the functional endoscopic dye test (FEDT). In a further group of 12 pre-operative cases, the questionnaire was repeated after 4-6 weeks but before surgery, to assess test-retest reliability in the absence of clinical change.
RESULTS: The Lac-Q questionnaire was based on two broad categories of eye-specific scores and social impact scores. A numerical score, the ‘Lac-Q’ score, was generated pre- and postoperatively. When compared to pre-operative scores, the reduction in Lac-Q scores postoperatively was significant. Postoperative scores also correlated well with objective lacrimal drainage testing using the FEDT. Analysis of symptom scores shows that the questionnaire was reliable with regard to content validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and responsiveness to clinical change.
CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the Lac-Q questionnaire is a useful clinical tool to evaluate outcomes after adult lacrimal surgery.

The differences in the shape and size of the nose have been proposed to be an adaptation to climate with broad noses (platyrrhine) evolving in a warm humid environment where there was little need for air conditioning and narrow noses (leptorrhine) evolving in colder climates where the air needed more warming. The main aim of this research was to determine if there was any relationship between the shape of the nose as expressed in terms of nasal height and width (nasal index) and total nasal airway resistance (NAR), as one would predict that the narrower leptorrhine noses would have a greater resistance to air flow than the broader platyrrhine noses. It was also proposed that the narrow leptorrhine nose would have better developed vascular tissue than the broad platyrrhine nose in order to condition cold air, and would exhibit a greater response to nasal decongestion. No correlation was found between nasal index and NAR (r = -0.09) and similarly no correlation was found between nasal index and response to a topical nasal decongestant (r = 0.02). The absence of any physiological differences between the different nose types may be due to acclimatisation of participants to the area of recruitment.

BACKGROUND: In vitro culture of nasal polyp cells is frequently used in the investigation of inflammatory mechanisms and effect of treatments in nasal polyposis. Research outcomes may, however, be influenced by the culture methodology used.
METHODS: Nasal polyp and nasal mucosa in vitro fibroblast cultures were pre-treated with foetal bovine serum (FBS)-free culture medium or medium supplemented with either FBS or charcoal-stripped (cs) FBS. Cells were then stimulated with FBS or csFBS, with or without different doses of dexamethasone for 4 and 24h. IL-6, IL-8, GM-CSF and VEGF release and cell viability were measured.
RESULTS: The highest cytokine levels were found in growth-arrested cells stimulated with 10% FBS. csFBS poorly stimulated cytokine release. Nasal polyp released larger IL-8 amounts than nasal mucosa fibroblasts. Dexamethasone decreased cytokine production dose- and time-dependently in both nasal mucosa and nasal polyp fibroblasts. The IC25 of IL-8 inhibition by dexamethasone was higher in nasal polyp than in nasal mucosa fibroblasts. Cell viability did not differ among treatments.
CONCLUSIONS: Cytokine production by in vitro cultured nasal fibroblasts is affected by the culture conditions used and is inhibited by dexamethasone in both fibroblast types. Our results highlight the importance of culture methodology on nasal polyp research outcomes.

Objective: Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (NP) is hypothesized to have pathophysiological impact on the disease. Antimicrobial peptides (AMP), especially human beta-defensin-3 (hBD-3) and LL-37, are an important part of the multifactorial defence against microorganisms in barrier organs like the nasal mucosa. The interaction of S. aureus colonization and AMP in nasal secretions and mucosa of NP were investigated in this study.
Patients and Methods: AMP were quantified in nasal secretions of 13 normal controls (NC) and 12 NP patients, each with and without S. aureus colonization, by ELISA. Immunohistochemistry was used to investigate the cellular sources of AMP in the nasal mucosa. To explore the AMP response of primary nasal epithelial cell cultures (NEC) towards S. aureus stimulation, a functional assay was established.
Results: AMP could be demonstrated in nasal secretions of all groups without differences in hBD-3 concentrations comparing S. aureus carriers vs. non-carriers. In NC, higher LL-37 concentrations were observed in S. aureus colonized as compared to non-colonized patients. This effect was not detectable in NP patients. Epithelial cells, submucosal glands and cells of the connective tissue could be identified as sources of AMP by immunohistochemistry. An AMP response of NEC towards S. aureus stimulation was detected in all groups.
Conclusion: In NP patients, LL-37 response towards S. aureus colonization is disturbed while the ability of NEC to respond on S. aureus challenge is preserved. This deregulation of the nasal barrier could be involved in the multifactorial pathophysiology of NP.

BACKGROUND: Recently, solitary chemosensory cells have been described in the respiratory and vomeronasal epithelium of the rodent nose. Expressing G-protein coupled receptors for sweet, umami and bitter taste transduction, these cells are thought to mediate trigeminal reflexes upon stimulation with chemical irritants. The present study analyzes human nasal mucosa for the presence of solitary chemosensory cells.
METHODOLOGY: In human tissue samples from respiratory mucosa and the vomeronasal organ, gene expression of taste receptors families was studied in five patients using the Affymetrix Human Gene 1.0 ST Array and immunohistochemistry with specific antibodies.
RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry revealed that solitary chemosensory cells expressing G-protein coupled receptors for sweet, umami and bitter taste transduction are present in the human nose. cDNA microarray analysis congruently showed that cells expressing bitter taste receptors accumulate in the vomeronasal organ compared to the respiratory epithelium. CONCLUSIONS: Solitary chemosensory cells expressing taste receptors are also present in the human nose. Since they are thought to mediate trigeminal reflexes, their role in the pathogenesis of nasal hyperreagibility should be elucidated in further studies.