High-Speed Video Microscopy for Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia Diagnosis: A Study of Ciliary Motility Variations with Time and Temperature

Abstract

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare disease resulting from a defect in ciliary function that generates, among other issues, chronic upper and lower respiratory tract infections. European guidelines recommend studying ciliary function (pattern (CBP) and frequency (CBF)), together with characteristic clinical symptoms, as one of the definitive tests. However, there is no “gold standard”. The present study aims to use high-speed video microscopy to describe how CBF and CBP alter over time and at different temperatures to reduce the error rate in the diagnosis of PCD. Samples of nasal epithelium from 27 healthy volunteers were studied to assess CBF and CBP at 0, 3, 24, 48, and 72 h, at room temperature and 4 °C. It was observed that CBF increased while CBP became dyskinetic, both at room temperature and at 4 °C, as time passed, especially after 3 h. In order to preserve all ciliary function parameters and to perform a reliable analysis to improve the diagnostic process of PCD, analysis should be performed within the first 3 h of sample collection, preferably in reference centers.