title: Mucociliary clearance and its relation with the level of physical activity in daily life in healthy smokers and nonsmokers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between mucociliary transport and physical activity in daily life (PADL) in smokers and nonsmokers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-two current smokers were submitted to assessment of mucociliary transport (Sacharin Transit Time, STT), carbon monoxide levels in the exhaled air, lung function and smoking history. In addition, subjects kept a pedometer worn at the waist for six days in order to determine their level of PADL (steps/day). The tests were also performed on 30 matched healthy nonsmokers who served as control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Light smokers (≤15 cigarettes/day) had a STT of 9 (7-11) min (median [confidence interval]), which was similar to nonsmokers (8 [8-11]min; p=0.8). Both moderate (16-25 cigarettes/day) and heavy (>25 cigarettes/day) smokers had significantly higher STT (13 [11-17] min and 13 [10-21] min, respectively) than nonsmokers and light smokers (p<0.05 for all). There was no difference in the number of steps/day between any of the groups (p>0.05 for all). In the general group of smokers, STT was not significantly correlated with PADL, pack/years index, years of smoking or age (r<-0.23; p>0.09 for all). There was significant negative correlation between STT and PADL only in light smokers (r=-0.55; p=0.02) and nonsmokers (r=-0.42; p=0.02), but not in moderate and heavy smokers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In light smokers and non-smokers, better mucociliary function is associated to higher daily physical activity level, as opposed to the decreased mucociliary function observed in smokers, i.e., those with moderate and heavy cigarette consumption.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Estudos do Aparelho Muco-Secretor (LEAMS), Programa de Mestrado em Fisioterapia, Departamento de Fisioterapia, UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Presidente Prudente, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Proença
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pitta
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kovelis
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Mantoani
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Furlanetto
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zabatiero
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: E M C
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Ramos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D009079:Mucociliary Clearance; D012907:Smoking / Q000503:physiopathology*