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Nasal mucus transportability in children with cleft palate

Sergio Henrique Kiemle Trindade1, Mariângela Macchione, Eliane Tigre Guimarães

  • 1Laboratory of Experimental Air Pollution, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. sktrindade@usp.br

International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology
|March 8, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Children with cleft palate (CP) exhibit altered nasal mucus, with improved sneeze clearance but no changes in ciliary transportability. These mucus property changes do not explain the high sinusitis rates in CP patients.

Area of Science:

  • Otorhinolaryngology
  • Pediatric Health
  • Biomedical Engineering

Background:

  • Children with cleft palate (CP) frequently experience sinusitis.
  • Nasal mucus properties are crucial for upper airway defense.
  • Understanding mucus alterations in CP is vital for managing related health issues.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate nasal mucus transportability and physical properties in children with CP.
  • To compare these properties between children with and without CP.
  • To determine if mucus alterations contribute to sinusitis in CP.

Main Methods:

  • Nasal mucus was collected from children with and without CP.
  • Sneeze clearance (SC) was measured using a simulated sneeze machine.
  • In vitro mucus transportability (MCT) by cilia, contact angle (CA), and rheology (log G*, tan delta) were assessed.

Main Results:

  • Children with CP showed significantly higher SC compared to non-CP children.
  • Mucus from CP children had a lower CA and higher tan delta 100, indicating altered physical properties.
  • No significant differences were found in MCT or most rheological parameters (log G* 1, tan delta 1, log G* 100).

Conclusions:

  • Nasal mucus in children with CP is associated with enhanced sneeze transportability.
  • Altered mucus physical properties and transportability do not fully explain the high prevalence of sinusitis in this population.
Abstract

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