Postoperative autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cell therapy in the rehabilitation of children with chronic hypertrophic rhinitis: a prospective comparative study

Abstract

Chronic hypertrophic rhinitis in children is a common pathology associated with inferior turbinate hypertrophy, persistent nasal obstruction, and impaired quality of life. Surgical interventions to reduce turbinate volume, such as diode laser and bipolar cautery, are widely used, but postoperative inflammation and mucosal regeneration can be prolonged. Autologous cell therapy represents a promising regenerative approach to accelerate tissue healing. Objective – to evaluate the effectiveness of postoperative autologous mononuclear cell therapy in the rehabilitation of children with chronic hypertrophic rhinitis following surgical treatment. Methods. The study was prospective, interventional, and comparative, conducted on a group of 40 children aged 7 to 17 years diagnosed with chronic hypertrophic rhinitis. Patients were divided into four groups (n = 10/group): diode laser (DL), diode laser + cell therapy (DL+CT), bipolar cautery (BC), and bipolar cautery + cell therapy (BC+CT). Cell therapy consisted of the postoperative local administration of a suspension of autologous mononuclear cells obtained from peripheral blood. The evaluation included the NOSE symptom score, rhinomanometry, acoustic rhinometry and endoscopic examination. The follow-up period was 24 months. Results. All groups showed postoperative clinical improvement. The cell therapy groups demonstrated a significantly faster and more stable reduction in symptoms, with a decrease in the NOSE score to 14.0 ± 4.0 in the DL+CT group at 24 months, compared to 30.0 ± 6.0 in DL and 36.0 ± 7.0 in BC. Nasal resistance decreased more sharply in the cell therapy groups, and the incidence of persistent edema, crusting and relapses was lower. Conclusions. Autologous cell therapy applied postoperatively accelerates the regeneration of the nasal mucosa and improves functional outcomes in children with chronic hypertrophic rhinitis, with maximum efficiency in combination with diode laser.