To investigate the role of local allergic inflammation and Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxins in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

This study included 36 patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps and 18 controls. Total immunoglobulin E, eosinophil cationic protein, staphylococcal enterotoxin types A and B specific immunoglobulin E, staphylococcal enterotoxin types A and B, and myeloperoxidase levels were determined.

Four patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps had a local allergy. All chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps patients tested negative for staphylococcal enterotoxin types A and B specific immunoglobulin E. The chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps group had significantly elevated staphylococcal enterotoxin types A and B levels in the supernatant. Fourteen patients belonged to the eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps group and the others were characterised as having non-eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

Local allergy may play a role in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, independent of staphylococcal enterotoxin superantigens. Staphylococcal enterotoxins may be important in the pathogenesis of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps; however, their roles as superantigens were not confirmed in this study. In Chinese subjects, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps usually manifests as a neutrophilic inflammation.