Table 1: Subject characteristics

Control CRS
CRSsNP CRSwNP p1 p2
N=60 % N=55 % N=18 %
Gender
 Female 43 72 38 69 6 33 .20 .012
 Male 17 28 17 31 12 67
Age, median (Q1-Q3) 33 (25-41) 37 (30-46) 54 (42-62) <.001 <.001
AR
 no 16 27 26 47 7 40
 yes 44 73 29 53 11 61 .031 .59
Asthma
 no 57 95 49 89 8 44
 yes 3 5 6 11 10 56 .006 <.001
AERD
 no 58 97 41 95 13 77
 yes 2 3 2 5 4 24 .27 .048
Smoking
 never 51 85 28 51 10 59
 ex 9 15 9 16 4 24
 current 0 0 18 33 3 18 <.001 .49
Previous operation
 no 59 98 45 82 13 72
 yes 1 2 10 18 5 28 .001 .50
Medication
 no intranasal corticosteroid 37 62 15 27 4 22 <.001 .77
 intranasal corticosteroids 23 38 40 73 14 78
Medication of exacerbation(s) /y
≥ 1 peroral corticosteroid course
no 59 100 48 87 15 83
yes 0 0 7 13 3 17 .002 .70
≥ 4 antibiotic courses
no 39 100 40 73 15 83
yes 0 0 15 27 3 17 <.001 .53
   Reported worst symptom(s)
Obstruction, n (%)
no 46 87 30 57 10 56
yes 7 13 23 43 8 44 <.001 1.0
Postnasal drip, n (%)
no 50 94 37 70 15 83
yes 3 6 16 30 3 17 .002 .36
Discharge, n (%)
no 50 94 48 91 16 89
yes 3 6 5 9 2 11 .51 1.0
Pain/pressure, n (%)
no 53 100 34 64 15 83
yes 0 0 19 36 3 17 <.001 .15
Loss of sense of smell, n (%)
no 52 98 53 100 16 89
yes 1 2 0 0 2 11 1.0 .062
Dyspnoea, n (%)
no 53 100 52 98 16 89
yes 0 0 1 2 2 11 .26 .16
Family history of NP
 no 42 75 18 43 9 53
 yes 7 13 6 14 1 6
 don´t know 7 13 18 42 7 41 .001 .72
Family history of AR
 no 23 40 28 65 8 47
 yes 29 50 12 28 5 29
 don´t know 6 10 3 7 4 24 .05 .20
Family history of asthma
 no 32 56 24 57 7 41
 yes 21 37 16 38 6 35 1.0 .11
 don´t know 5 9 2 5 4 24
Other diseases
 no 48 84 31 57 9 53
 yes 9 16 23 43 8 47 .001 .79
Self-reported NP
 no 58 97 45 82 6 33
 yes 0 0 10 18 12 67 .002 <.001
 don´t know 2 3 0 0 0 0
Endoscopic signs of NP3
 no 60 100 55 100 0 0
 yes 0 0 0 0 18 100 <.001 <.001
Radiologic NP score4
 0-7 - - 45 82 1 6 - <.001
 8-16 - - 10 18 17 94
Total LM score of CT scans, median (Q1-Q3) - - 4.0 (2-10) 12 (9-14.25) - <.001

p1=CRS patients vs. controls. p2= CRSsNP vs. CRSwNP. CRS= chronic rhinosinusitis; AR= allergic rhinitis; AERD= aspirin exacerbated respiratory disease; NP=nasal polyps; CT scan signs of NP was based on the presence of mucosal NP-suggestive changes of inferior and/or middle turbinate(s), with score 0=no, 1=yes. Total score 0=No NP, total score 1-4 = NP; LM=Lund-Mackay score of sinus Computed Tomography (CT) scans.Q1, Q3: 25% and 75% percentiles respectively. 3Deviation from protocol: NP diagnosed by anterior rhinoscopy from n=20 controls by an Otorhinolaryngologist. 4Sum of maxillary/ethmoid sinus mucosal findings (scored as 0=no change, 1=mucosal thickening, 2= polypous mucosal thickening ±discharge) and detectability of turbinate structures (scored as 0=detected; 1= not detectable). P values by Fisher´s exact test (dichotomous variables) or Mann Whitney U test (continuous variables).