Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.20471/acc.2025.64.04.02

Levels of Immunoglobulin E Antibodies to Staphylococcal Enterotoxin A in Patients with Nasal Polyposis with and Without Asthma

Aleksandra Aleksić orcid.org/0000-0001-7860-2763 ; ENT Department, University Clinical Centre of Republika Srpska, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina *
Radoslav Gajanin orcid.org/0000-0002-9760-9829 ; University of Banja Luka, Faculty of Medicine, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina; University Clinical Centre of Republika Srpska, Department of pathology, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Tomislav Baudoin ; Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Center, Zagreb, Croatia
Aleksandar Perić orcid.org/0000-0002-8453-7272 ; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Military Medical Academy Faculty of Medicine, Belgrade, Serbia
Sanja Avram ; Institute for Laboratory Diagnostics, Division of Medical Biochemistry, University Clinical Centre of Republika Srpska, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina

* Corresponding author.

Abstract

Background: Recent investigations have shown that Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxins
might be associated with inflammatory mucosal changes seen in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal
polyps (CRSwNP) or nasal polyposis (NP). Their involvement in disease maintenance is still unclear.
The aim of this study was to determine the presence of immunoglobulin E specific to Staphylococcus
aureus enterotoxin A (SEA-IgE) in the serum of CRSwNP patients and its involvement in the concomitant
presence of asthma.
Methods: The study group consisted of 70 participants: 32 with CRSwNP without asthma, 13 with
CRSwNP with asthma and 25 controls without an inflammatory disease of the nose/paranasal sinuses.
A detailed medical history was obtained, and a clinical examination and skin prick test were performed.
The diagnosis of CRSwNP was confirmed by nasal endoscopy and computed tomography. The levels of
total immunoglobulin E (IgE) and SEA-IgE in the serum were measured using ImmunoCAP assays.
Results: Comparing CRSwNP patients with and without asthma, the patients with asthma had
more severe symptoms, and higher endoscopic and radiological scores than those without asthma. SEAIgE
values were significantly higher in the CRSwNP group than in the control group. The presence of
SEA-IgE antibodies was not associated with the presence of asthma.
Conclusion: Much controversy exists about the role of Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxins (SE) in
the pathogenesis of NP. Although serum SEA-IgE values did not reach the established cut-off level,
they were significantly higher in CRSwNP patients than in the control group. This may suggest that
SE might be involved in CRSwNP pathogenesis or amplify inflammation in patients with CRSwNP.
Serum SEA-IgE is not a reliable indicator of the concomitant presence of asthma in patients with NP.

Keywords

Chronic rhinosinusitis; Nasal polyps; Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxins

Hrčak ID:

344634

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/344634

Publication date:

31.12.2025.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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