Tracheo-bronchial mucociliary clearance in patients with primary and secondary Sjögren's syndrome.
We determined the tracheo-bronchial mucociliary clearance (MCC) in order to evaluate a possible impairment of this function in patients affected by Sjögren's syndrome (SS) with or without overt clinical symptoms of xerotrachea. The MCC was expressed as flow rate (mm/min) and studied in 22 non-smoking SS patients (10 pSS and 12 sSS) and in 8 control subjects by specifically adapted ventilation lung scintigraphy (VLS). The MCC in the control group was 5.9 +/- 1.1 mm/min. No values were produced for MCC in 16 SS patients (8 pSS and 8 sSS) in the time interval considered and were reduced in the remaining 6 SS patients (3.3 +/- 1.2 mm/min). In all nine cases with clinical evidence of xerotrachea no values for MCC were obtained. A significant correlation was found between the MCC values and the rate of stimulated salivary excretion determined by dynamic scialoscintigraphy in the same patients (p < 0.001). These preliminary data show that the majority of SS patients studied presented with MCC impairment, always found when clinical symptoms of xerotrachea were present.
2nd Chair of Rheumatology, University of Cagliari, Italy.
A
A
Mathieu
A
A
Cauli
R
R
Pala
L
L
Satta
P
P
Nurchis
G L
GL
Loi
P
P
Garau
G
G
Sanna
G
G
Passiu
P
P
Carta
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001980:Bronchi / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009079:Mucociliary Clearance; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012016:Reference Values; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014132:Trachea / Q000378:metabolism*; D014797:Vital Capacity