[The status of mucociliary clearance in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis]

The authors present the findings of mucociliary clearance (MCC) in 64 patients, including 45 with different forms of pulmonary tuberculosis and 19 with chronic nonspecific pulmonary diseases. MCC was determined with the radioaerosol method with the use of TCK-5 kit human albumin suspension and 99mTc radioisotope. Fibrobronchoscopy was performed in all the patients and a brush bronchial mucosa biopsy in 34 of them. MCC indices in patients with different pulmonary diseases were analysed. The obtained data were compared with the status of the bronchial epithelium from cytologic study of bronchial biopsy specimens. A relationship of MCC drop in case of pathology in the bronchial villous apparatus was revealed.