The presence of a particular protein profile in the blood of those suffering from chronic sinusitis may lead physicians to be able to objectively diagnose and treat the disease, ScienceDaily reports.

Using surface enhanced laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectroscopy (SELDI-TOF-MS), researchers found that 96 chronic sinusitis patients possessed a protein profile that was absent in 38 healthy control subjects. Corresponding author on the study, Dr. Stilianos E. Kountakis of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in the Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine, remarks, ‘We can diagnose this disease with a totally objective test that does not depend on symptoms or observations.’

As it is now, diagnosing chronic sinusitis is quite subjective, based mostly on a patient's discussion with his doctor of symptoms that characterize the disease, including dripping nose, sinus pressure, congestion, and difficulty breathing. Although doctors routinely use an endoscope and may also use a computerized scan, researchers say that the ‘overall management of [chronic sinusitis] is still hampered by the lack of quantifiable, molecular and genetic markers to aid in screening.’

If symptoms persist for 12 weeks, sinusitis is considered chronic. Causes of the disease include respiratory inflammation, bacterial infections, mucosal disease, and nasal polyps. Patients may have a genetic predisposition to polyps and asthma, putting them at increased risk for developing chronic sinusitis. Dr. Kountakis explains, ‘You may have a bacterial infection, allergies, mechanical problems. There are numerous genes that control respiratory function. Any of these things can go wrong to predispose the patient to develop chronic sinusitis.’

Objective diagnosis will also help doctors administer the proper treatment. Surgery is sometimes performed on deviated septums, polyps, or other anatomical causes. There are no FDA-approved drugs specifically for the treatment of chronic sinusitis; physicians routinely treat symptoms with steroid sprays to reduce inflammation, mucus thinners, and saline irrigation. New diagnostic tools will help classify which patients actually suffer from chronic sinusitis and will help researchers study the effectiveness of drugs. Classification will also help group patients by the severity and type of chronic sinusitis they have.

To read more about sinusitis, see Sinusitis: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment.