Ciliary assessment in bronchiectasis

Motile Ciliary Disorders in Chronic Airway Inflammatory Diseases: Critical Target for Interventions

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Impaired mucociliary clearance has been implicated in chronic upper and lower airway inflammatory diseases (i.e., allergic and non-allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis with or without nasal polyps and asthma). How motile ciliary disorders (impaired ciliogenesis, ciliary beating and ultrastructural defects) are implicated in chronic airway inflammatory diseases is not fully understood. Elaboration of the role of motile ciliary disorders may serve as therapeutic targets for improving mucociliary clearance, thereby complementing contemporary disease management.

RECENT FINDINGS

We have summarized the manifestations of motile ciliary disorders and addressed the underlying associations with chronic airway inflammatory diseases. A panel of established and novel diagnostic tests and therapeutic interventions are outlined. Physicians should be vigilant in screening for motile ciliary disorders, particularly in patients with co-existing upper and lower airway inflammatory diseases. Proper assessment and treatment of motile ciliary disorders may have added value to the management and prevention of chronic airway inflammatory diseases.

Capsaicin cough sensitivity and the association with clinical parameters in bronchiectasis

BACKGROUND

Cough hypersensitivity has been common among respiratory diseases.

OBJECTIVE

To determine associations of capsaicin cough sensitivity and clinical parameters in adults with clinically stable bronchiectasis.

METHODS

We recruited 135 consecutive adult bronchiectasis patients and 22 healthy subjects. History inquiry, sputum culture, spirometry, chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), Leicester Cough Questionnaire scoring, Bronchiectasis Severity Index (BSI) assessment and capsaicin inhalation challenge were performed. Cough sensitivity was measured as the capsaicin concentration eliciting at least 2 (C2) and 5 coughs (C5).

RESULTS

Despite significant overlap between healthy subjects and bronchiectasis patients, both C2 and C5 were significantly lower in the latter group (all P<0.01). Lower levels of C5 were associated with a longer duration of bronchiectasis symptoms, worse HRCT score, higher 24-hour sputum volume, BSI and sputum purulence score, and sputum culture positive for P. aeruginosa. Determinants associated with increased capsaicin cough sensitivity, defined as C5 being 62.5 µmol/L or less, encompassed female gender (OR: 3.25, 95%CI: 1.35-7.83, P<0.01), HRCT total score between 7-12 (OR: 2.57, 95%CI: 1.07-6.173, P = 0.04), BSI between 5-8 (OR: 4.05, 95%CI: 1.48-11.06, P<0.01) and 9 or greater (OR: 4.38, 95%CI: 1.48-12.93, P<0.01).

CONCLUSION

Capsaicin cough sensitivity is heightened in a subgroup of bronchiectasis patients and associated with the disease severity. Gender and disease severity, but not sputum purulence, are independent determinants of heightened capsaicin cough sensitivity. Current testing for cough sensitivity diagnosis may be limited because of overlap with healthy subjects but might provide an objective index for assessment of cough in future clinical trials.

[Recurrent respiratory infections with severely damaged lung functions--Kartagener's syndrome--case report]

INTRODUCTION

Kartagener's (or Siewert) syndrome represents a clinical presentation of primary ciliary diskinesia (PCD) with 3 dominant symptoms: bronchiectasiae, chronic sinusitis and situs viscerum inversus totalis or dextrocardia, only. Siewet demonstrated the first case of this clinical phenomenon in 1904, which was recognized by Kartagener in 1933, as a congenital disorder. PCD is an autosomal recessive disease with extensive genetic heterogenity. Dyskinetic or completely absent motiliy of cilia predisposes to recurrent pulmonary and upper respiratory tract infections resulting in bronchiestasis. Also, infections of the middle ear are common due to lack of ciliary movement in the Eustachian tube. Men have reduced fertility due to spermatozoa with absent motility or abnormalities in the ductuli efferentes.

CASE REPORT

Our case report represents a middle age woman, treated ambulatory for many years as a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The patient noted recurrent upper respiratory tract infections from her childhood, headaches and recurrent sinusitis. Also, she had extrauterine pregnancy, no children, in spite of several arteficial inseminations. Due to the clinical signs of the right heart failure and the described ECG changes, the echocardiographic examination was done, which showed the dextracardia and the ultrasonographic examination of the abdomen revealed the situs inversus, the finding being within the physiological limits.

CONCLUSION

All data regarding situs viscerum invesrus, supported by CT verification of bronchiectasiae and chronic inflammation of maxillar sinus led us to conclude that the patient suffered from Kartagener's syndrome.

Ten-year experience using a plastic, disposable curette for the diagnosis of primary ciliary dyskinesia

BACKGROUND

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) results in impaired mucociliary clearance. Patients with this disorder develop chronic sinopulmonary disease with recurrent sinusitis, otitis media, nasal polyposis, pneumonia, and, ultimately, bronchiectasis. Other associated findings of dysfunctional ciliary activity include situs inversus, dextrocardia, and infertility.

OBJECTIVE

To describe our 10-year experience using a small, plastic, disposable curette to perform a screening procedure for cilia function and to collect samples for electron microscopy.

METHODS

In the past 10 years, we screened infants and children with severe chronic sinusitis and other chronic recurrent upper respiratory tract problems for PCD by using a plastic, disposable curette to collect tissue samples from the nasal mucosa. Samples were placed in sterile saline and examined under light microscopy for the presence of cilia. Failure to note ciliary movement prompted another examination 1 month later. If no functional cilia were noted at the follow-up examination, a specimen was obtained and sent for electron microscopy.

RESULTS

We identified 7 patients with PCD; 2 had situs inversus totalis. Average age at diagnosis was 3 years. The most common symptom at presentation was frequent upper respiratory tract infections with severe otitis media (7 patients) and sinusitis (5 patients). Recurrent pneumonia was present in 6 patients. Dynein arm deficiency was the most common electron microscopic diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Evaluating children for PCD by using a plastic, disposable curette is a relatively simple procedure that could be used by allergists in practice. Primary ciliary dyskinesia occurs frequently enough that physicians should consider it as part of the differential diagnosis in evaluating children with recurrent, severe sinopulmonary infections.