Figure 4. Tuft cell and PGE₂ activation are common features of upper and lower allergic airway disease.

(A) T2 (3 gene) score, (B) polyp tuft score, and (C) PGE₂ score in RNA-sequenced bulk epithelial brushings from sinus tissue of control patients (light purple) or patients with CRS without asthma or nasal polyps (“CRSsNP”; gray) or CRS with asthma and nasal polyps (“Polyp,” dark purple). (D) Correlation between PGE₂ score and polyp tuft cell score in sinus. (E) Correlation between PGE₂ score and T2 score in sinus. (A–E) n = 8 control, n = 7 CRSsNP, n = 24 polyp participants, as in Supplemental Table 1. (F) Polyp tuft score and (G) PGE₂ score in RNA sequencing of bulk epithelial brushings of the bronchus of healthy participants or asthmatic participants classified as either T2 low or T2 high. (F and G) n = 16 healthy, n = 8 T2 low, n = 11 T2 high. For A–C, F, and G, bars represent 25th–75th percentiles with line at median, error bars indicating range, and whiskers extending from largest value (upper whisker) no farther than 1.5 × IQR from the hinge (where IQR is the distance between the first and third quartiles) to smallest value no farther than 1.5 × IQR (lower whisker).