title: Epithelium, cilia, and mucus: their importance in chronic rhinosinusitis.
abstract: Chronic rhinosinusitis is a common disease resulting from inflammation of the sinonasal mucosa. It has long been recognized that patients with chronic rhinosinusitis have impaired capacity to clear sinonasal secretions. However, the cause of this pathologic process is not well understood. In this article the components of mucociliary clearance, including cilia, mucus production, and cilia beat frequency, are reviewed and alterations of the system discussed regarding contribution to the disease process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Ravdin Building 5th Floor, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19004, USA. cohenn@uphs.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Marcelo B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Antunes
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Gudis
authors.forename: Noam A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002908:Chronic Disease; D002923:Cilia / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D009093:Mucus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology