title: [Study on the clearance function of mucociliary system in nasal middle meatus].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the clearance function of mucociliary system in nasal middle meatus.
  
  
  METHODS
  The nasal middle meatus mucociliary transport rate (MTR) was measured by saccharin method in normal persons and patients with chronic suppurative sinusitis or chronic hypertrophic rhinitis or chronic simple rhinitis. The MTR in nasal common meatus were measured in persons as many as the people mentioned above with the same conditions. Samples of mucosa from nasal middle meatus in normal adults and patients with nasal polyps or chronic sinusitis were scanned by electron microscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  in healthy groups, the MTR of nasal middle meatus was (4.47 +/- 0.90) mm/min, and the MTR of nasal common meatus was(7.0 +/- 2.21) mm/min. There was significant difference between them (P < 0.01). The MTR of nasal middle meatus in patients groups were significantly lower than that in healthy groups (P < 0.01). In the patients groups, the MTR of nasal middle meatus were also lower than that of nasal common meatus and that in healthy groups. There were no difference between men and women. The electron microscopy scan showed that the cilias in nasal middle meatus distributed better in healthy persons than in patients. Some short cilias could be found, and the long cilias and the short cilias growthed alternately.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MTR of nasal middle meatus is lower than that of nasal common meatus , so the protective function of mucociliary of nasal middle meatus is lower than that of nasal common meatus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130031.
authors.forename: Yuxin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Zhanquan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009079:Mucociliary Clearance / Q000502:physiology*; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000502:physiology*; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology