Abstract:Objective To identify specific differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the nasal mucosa of patients with secondary atrophic rhinitis and explore the molecular mechanisms at the protein level underlying the occurrence and progression of the disease. Methods The protein expression profiles of nasal mucosa tissues from patients with secondary atrophic rhinitis and normal nasal mucosa tissues from patients with cysts of the maxillary sinus were quantitatively analyzed. DEPs were identified based on fold change (FC) > 1.2 or < 1.2/1 and P < 0.05, followed by GO and KEGG enrichment analyses. Results A total of 291 DEPs were identified, including 53 upregulated and 238 downregulated proteins. GO enrichment analysis revealed that DEPs were mainly involved in processes such as endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi vesicle transport, structural components of ribosomes, and cytoplasmic large ribosomal subunits. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that DEPs were primarily involved in pathways related to sphingolipid biosynthesis, protein transport, and processing. Conclusion Using 4D-Label-free technology, specific DEPs were identified in the nasal mucosa of patients with secondary atrophic rhinitis. Proteins with significant differential expression, such as COL6A6, MPP1, GOLGA4, and SLC38A10, may play critical roles in the pathogenesis and progression of secondary atrophic rhinitis.
