[Physicochemical properties of sputum from patients with immotile cilia syndrome]

Sputum samples were collected from 15 immotile cilia syndrome (ICS) cases, 12 diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB) cases, and 11 bronchiectasis without ICS (BE) cases, during stable clinical state, to clarify the physicochemical properties of sputum from patients with ICS and to compare them with the properties of sputum from patients with DPB and BE. We measured sputum rheological properties and concentrations of several biochemical components. In ICS, spinnability was higher than that in DPB. No significant difference was seen between ICS and the other cases regarding other rheological properties. Albumin was lower, but fucose, sialic acid, and IgA were higher in ICS than in DPB. Although no significant difference was seen between ICS and BE, the sialic acid/albumin ratio was higher and the sialic acid/fucose ratio was lower in ICS than in BE. These results revealed that sputum from ICS cases was characterized by an absolutely or relatively increased mucus component with high spinnability and by a decreased extravascular transudate component. In view of these rheological properties, sputum from ICS cases was not always indicated to be associated with efficiency in cough clearance. The results suggested that chronic airway inflammation in ICS is not such a serious problem compared with DPB and BE.