help button home button
AJRCCM
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by HO, J. C.
Right arrow Articles by TSANG, K. W.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by HO, J. C.
Right arrow Articles by TSANG, K. W.

Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., Volume 163, Number 4, March 2001, 983-988

The Effect of Aging on Nasal Mucociliary Clearance, Beat Frequency, and Ultrastructure of Respiratory Cilia

JAMES C. HO, KWOK N. CHAN, WAYNE H. HU, WAH K. LAM, LING ZHENG, GEORGE L. TIPOE, JUNE SUN, RAYMOND LEUNG, and KENNETH W. TSANG

University Departments of Medicine, Pediatrics, and Anatomy, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, China

The increased susceptibility of the elderly to lower respiratory tract infection cannot be fully explained. Although mucociliary clearance, which is affected by ciliary beating and ultrastructure, plays a crucial role in the defense of the airways against inhaled microbes, little is known of the effects of aging on these parameters. We studied the nasal mucociliary clearance (NMCC) time, ciliary beat frequency, and ultrastructure of respiratory cilia in a cohort of healthy volunteers (age range 11 to 90 yr). Ciliary beat frequency of ciliated nasal epithelial cells was obtained via an established photometric method, and NMCC time was measured with the saccharine test. There was a correlation of ciliary beat frequency (r = -0.48, p = 0.0001) and NMCC time r = 0.64, p < 0.001) with increasing age. Transmission electron microscopy revealed an increase in the percent of subjects exhibiting microtubular disarrangement and single central microtubules with aging (p = 0.002 and p = 0.005, respectively). Subjects older than 40 yr of age had significantly slower ciliary beat frequency, higher percent of ciliary cross-sections displaying single tubules, and longer NMCC time than their younger counterparts (p < 0.05). These findings may help explain the frequent occurrence of respiratory infection in the elderly.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J. Immunol.Home page
S. Cao, G. Carlesso, A. B. Osipovich, J. Llanes, Q. Lin, K. L. Hoek, W. N. Khan, and H. E. Ruley
Subunit 1 of the Prefoldin Chaperone Complex Is Required for Lymphocyte Development and Function
J. Immunol., July 1, 2008; 181(1): 476 - 484.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Proc Am Thorac SocHome page
K. C. Meyer
Aging
Proceedings of the ATS, December 1, 2005; 2(5): 433 - 439.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Eur Respir JHome page
M. Svartengren, R. Falk, and K. Philipson
Long-term clearance from small airways decreases with age
Eur. Respir. J., October 1, 2005; 26(4): 609 - 615.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 ChestHome page
N. K. Nakagawa, M. L. Franchini, P. Driusso, L. R. de Oliveira, P. H. N. Saldiva, and G. Lorenzi-Filho
Mucociliary Clearance Is Impaired in Acutely Ill Patients
Chest, October 1, 2005; 128(4): 2772 - 2777.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 ThoraxHome page
M A Chilvers, A Rutman, and C O'Callaghan
Functional analysis of cilia and ciliated epithelial ultrastructure in healthy children and young adults
Thorax, April 1, 2003; 58(4): 333 - 338.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Proc. Am. Thorac. Soc. Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol.
Copyright © 2001 American Thoracic Society 		  ATS Coding and Billing Quarterly