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Objective: Transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were performed on the gene expression of nasal epithelial cells in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis (AR) and perennial AR, so as to obtain the differences in the gene expression of nasal epithelial cells between seasonal AR and perennial AR. Methods: The human nasal epithelial cell line(HNEpC) was cultured in vitro , treated with 100 μg/ml mugwort or house dust mite (HDM) extracts for 24 hours. Total cell RNA was extracted, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to detect the expression of cytokines, including IL-6, IL-8, IL-33 and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP). From November 2019 to November 2020, 3 seasonal AR patients, 3 perennial AR patients, and 3 healthy controls who attended the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University were analyzed. The patients' primary nasal epithelial cells were cultured in vitro , treated with corresponding allergens for 24 hours. Total RNA was extracted for transcriptome sequencing, and the sequencing results were analyzed by bioinformatics. Results: The qPCR results showed that the cytokines IL-6, IL-8, IL-33 and TSLP of HNEpC treated with mugworts extracts and HDM extracts had the same trend of change. After the nasal epithelial cells from patients with seasonal AR and perennial AR were treated with corresponding allergens, there were differences in biological processes and signal pathways between those and control. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis showed that the differentially expressed genes (DEG) in AR patients allergic to mugwort were mainly enriched in the oxidation-reduction process, the negative regulation of apoptosis process, and the cell adhesion; the DEG in AR patients allergic to HDM were mainly enriched in cell adhesion, the negative regulation of cell proliferation and the response to drug. Enrichment analysis of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) signaling pathway showed that the DEG of AR patients allergic to mugwort were significantly enriched in arachidonic acid metabolism, p53 signaling pathway and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling pathway, while the DEG of AR patients allergic to HDM were mainly enriched in cells cycle, Fanconi anemia pathway and DNA replication. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) showed that the inflammatory response, TNF-α/NF-κB signaling pathway and IL-2/STAT5 signaling pathway were significantly up-regulated in AR patients allergic to mugwort, indicating the promotion of inflammatory response; and AR patients allergic to HDM had significant down-regulation of G2M, E2F, and MYC, indicating the inhibition of cell proliferation. The protein-protein interaction network showed that TNF and CDK1 were the most interacting proteins in mugwort and HDM allergic AR patients, respectively. Conclusion: Seasonal AR and perennial AR may affect the different biological processes and signal pathways of nasal epithelial cells, leading to differences in the occurrence and development of AR.

Objective: To investigate the taste dysfuction and its features in patients with allergic rhinitis,and to study its influence on quality of life. Method: Three hundred and five consecutive cases were enrolled. Rhino conjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire, visual analogue scale and Lund-Kennedy nasal endoscopy scores were used to assess the taste dysfunction. In addition, taste test with paper strips was used to evaluate the four basic tastes of the twenty patients with severity dysfuction VAS. Result: Taste dysfuction accounted for 18.03% (55/305) in all allergic rhintis, while hypogeusia and hypergeusia were 98.18% (54/55), 1.82% (1/55) respectively. There were significant differences of RQLQ scores in taste dysfuction group compared to no taste dysfunction group, there were positive correlated relationship, but no difference between taste function and nasal VAS scores nor Lund and Kennedy nasal endoscopy scores. Saline taste, bitter taste, sweet taste and sour taste were impaired in AR, thus, saline taste was more diminishes than another three ( P < 0.05). Conclusion: Taste dysfunction is common symptom in allergic rhinitis, mainly including hypogeusia, especially saline taste.Taste dysfunction can impact patients'quality of life., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery.)

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a nasal inflammatory, IgE-mediated disease that occurs when some individuals inhales something he or she is allergic to, such as pollen or animal dander. It is also a refractory disease with high prevalence in the field of rhinology. The treatment of AR is really a difficult and challenging task because of the high prevalence, economic burden and the interference to the quality of life. At present, nasal corticosteroid and antihistamines were the mainly therapies, however, there is up to 40% patients not satisfactory to these therapies. So exploring new therapy or target is necessary. This article will review the results of previous studies focused on the new therapies of AR.