Temporal Stability of Ciliary Beating Post Nasal Brushing, Modulated by Storage Temperature

Area of Science:

• Respiratory Medicine
• Genetics
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is an inherited motile ciliopathy affecting respiratory cilia.
• Abnormal ciliary beating and ultrastructural defects are hallmarks of PCD.
• Standardized normal reference values for ciliary beating are crucial for accurate PCD diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of post-sampling delay and storage temperature on respiratory ciliary beating assessments.
• To determine optimal conditions for preserving ciliary function for diagnostic purposes.

Main Methods:

• 37 healthy nasal brushing samples were collected.
• Ciliary beating was assessed using digital high-speed videomicroscopy (DHSV) immediately after sampling.
• Samples were stored at 4°C or room temperature (RT) and re-evaluated at 3, 9, and up to 72 hours post-sampling.
• Ciliary beat frequency (CBF) and pattern (CBP) were analyzed manually and via semi-automated software.

Main Results:

• Both manual and semi-automated assessments of CBF and CBP remained stable up to 9 hours post-sampling.
• Manual CBF measurements were significantly higher in samples stored at RT compared to those at 4°C.
• CBP and semi-automated CBF assessments were not influenced by storage temperature.

Conclusions:

• Respiratory ciliary beating can be reliably assessed up to 9 hours after nasal brushing for PCD diagnostics.
• Storage temperature significantly influences manual ciliary beat frequency measurements and must be standardized.
• Controlled storage conditions are essential for establishing accurate normal reference values in PCD diagnostic centers.