Expressions of Lipocalin-2 in nasal tissues and secretions of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps and correlations with inflammatory factors.

Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is a common inflammatory disease of the upper airway. Lipocalin-2, an inflammation-related glycoprotein involved in innate immune regulation, has been linked to several chronic inflammatory disorders, but its role in CRSwNP remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the expression of Lipocalin-2 in nasal tissues and se-cretions of CRSwNP patients and its relationship with inflammatory factors. Seventy patients diagnosed with CRSwNP between January 2023 and January 2025 were enrolled in the case group, while 60 patients with simple nasal sep-tal deviation served as controls. NP tissues and nasal secretions were collected from CRSwNP patients, whereas inferior turbinate mucosal tissues and nasal secretions were obtained from controls. Levels of Lipocalin-2, interleukin-5 (IL -5), IL -6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were measured and ana-lyzed. Compared with controls, CRSwNP patients showed significantly higher levels of Lipocalin-2 and inflammatory cytokines in nasal secretions (p<0.05). Stratification based on Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores and computed tomog-raphy Lund-Mackay (CT L -M) scores indicated that these markers were notably higher in the moderate-to-severe group than in the mild disease group (p< 0.05). Lipocalin-2 was positively correlated with IL -5, IL -6, TNF-α, as well as VAS, Lund-Kennedy endoscopy, and CT L -M scores (all p<0.05). In summary, Lipocalin-2 is highly expressed in nasal polyp tissues and secretions of CRSwNP patients and closely associated with inflammatory cytokine levels and clinical severity, implying its potential as a biomarker for disease activity in CRSwNP.