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Variability in ciliary beat frequency in normal subjects and in patients with bronchiectasis
D Veale1, A D Rodgers, C J Griffiths
1Department of Respiratory Medicine, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Thorax
|October 1, 1993
Summary
Ciliary beat frequency (CBF) varies significantly in nasal mucosa, especially in bronchiectasis patients where slower beating cilia are more common. This variability may stem from chronic inflammation or infection.
Area of Science:
- Respiratory physiology
- Mucociliary clearance
Background:
- Significant variability exists in tracheobronchial clearance of inhaled aerosols.
- Limited data available on ciliary beat frequency (CBF) variability in normal and bronchiectatic subjects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and quantify the variability of ciliary beat frequency (CBF) in nasal mucosal samples.
- To compare CBF variability between normal individuals and stable bronchiectatic patients.
Main Methods:
- Measured CBF in 10 nasal mucosal samples per subject.
- Included 19 normal controls and 23 stable bronchiectatic subjects.
Main Results:
- CBF exhibited variation across different mucosal sites in both groups.
- Fastest beating cilia CBF was similar between groups.
- Slowest beating cilia CBF was lower and more variable within subjects in bronchiectatic patients compared to normal subjects.
Conclusions:
- Nasal mucosal samples show wide CBF variation, notably greater in bronchiectatic subjects.
- Slower ciliary beating observed in some bronchiectatic subjects.
- This phenomenon may be linked to chronic inflammation or infection in bronchiectasis.