Intersession repeatability of a novel nasal lavage technique

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Respiratory Medicine
• Otolaryngology

Background:

• Nasal lavage is crucial for analyzing upper respiratory tract secretions.
• Standardized and repeatable methods are needed for accurate cytokine and cell count analysis.
• Existing methods may have limitations in sample recovery and consistency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate a novel nasal lavage technique using a pediatric tracheostomy tube.
• To assess the intersession repeatability of key parameters including recovery volume, cell count, and cytokine concentrations (IL-6, IL-8).
• To determine the clinical utility of this new method for studying upper airway inflammatory conditions.

Main Methods:

• A novel nasal lavage procedure was developed utilizing a pediatric tracheostomy tube.
• Fourteen healthy subjects underwent nasal lavages on 5 consecutive days.
• Samples were analyzed for recovery volume, total cell count, and concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8).
• Repeatability was assessed using mean coefficient of variation, intraclass correlation coefficient, and interitem correlations.

Main Results:

• The technique demonstrated high intersession repeatability for cell count and IL-8 concentrations, with intraclass correlation coefficients indicating almost perfect agreement.
• Low mean coefficients of variation were observed for cell count (2%) and IL-8 (3%).
• Recovery volume and IL-6 concentrations showed higher variability, though mean percentage recovery was high (87%).

Conclusions:

• The developed pediatric tracheostomy tube nasal lavage method is a repeatable technique for collecting nasal secretions.
• This method provides reliable measurements of cell counts and IL-8 concentrations in healthy subjects.
• The technique shows potential as a valuable tool for research into upper respiratory tract inflammatory diseases.