Associations Between Chronic Rhinosinusitis and the Development of Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis

So Lim Kim; Brian S Schwartz; Thanh-Huyen Vu; David B Conley; Leslie C Grammer; Amina Guo; Atsushi Kato; Robert C Kern; Michelle H Prickett; Robert P Schleimer; Stephanie Smith; Whitney W Stevens; Lydia Suh; Bruce K Tan; Kevin C Welch; Anju T Peters

doi:10.1016/j.jaip.2024.07.027

Associations Between Chronic Rhinosinusitis and the Development of Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis

J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2024 Aug 5:S2213-2198(24)00777-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2024.07.027. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Ill.
² Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Md; Department of Population Health Sciences, Geisinger, Danville, Pa.
³ Division of Epidemiology, Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Ill.
⁴ Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Ill.
⁵ Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Ill.
⁶ Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Ill; Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Ill.
⁷ Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Ill. Electronic address: anjupeters@northwestern.edu.

PMID: 39111364
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaip.2024.07.027

Abstract

Background: Studies have shown an association between chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and non-cystic fibrosis (CF) bronchiectasis.

Objective: We aimed to determine whether CRS increases the risk of developing non-CF bronchiectasis.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted utilizing electronic medical records from an academic center. Patients with CRS without bronchiectasis, with at least 1 chest computed tomography (CT) scan performed after the diagnosis of CRS, were identified between January 2006 and December 2015. Charts were reviewed until May 2022. The control group was age-, sex-, and race-matched, and included patients without CRS, asthma, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who had at least 1 chest CT scan. Bronchiectasis was identified by chest CT radiology reports. The odds of developing bronchiectasis were analyzed in patients with CRS without asthma or COPD (cohort 1) and patients with CRS with asthma or COPD (cohort 2).

Results: The odds of developing bronchiectasis were significantly higher in patients with CRS (139 of 1,594; 8.7%) than in patients in the control group (443 of 7,992; 5.5%; odds ratio OR 1.63; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.34-1.99). Furthermore, the odds of developing bronchiectasis were higher in cohort 1 (63 of 863; 7.3%; OR 1.34; 05% CI 1.02-1.76) and cohort 2 (76/ of 731; 10.4%; OR 1.98; 95% CI 1.53-2.55) versus the control group. After adjusting for confounding diseases, the association was attenuated in cohort 1 (OR 1.22; 95% CI 0.92-1.61) but remained significant in cohort 2 (OR 1.78; 95% CI 1.37-2.31).

Conclusions: The CRS is associated with the future development of non-CF bronchiectasis. Patients with CRS, especially those with asthma or COPD, have a higher likelihood of developing bronchiectasis than patients without CRS.

Keywords: Chronic rhinosinusitis; Non–cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.